























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Hass 77,>0 3 - 

Book ffjZd6 











MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY 

WM. BULLOCK CLARK, State Geologist 


REPORT ON 

THE IRON ORES OF MARYLAND 



WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE IRON INDUSTRY 

BY 

JOSEPH T. SINGEWALD, JR.- 


(Special Publication, Volume IX, Part III) 


THE JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS 
Baltimore, December, 1911 







/ 




/ 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY 

WM. BULLOCK CLARK, State Geologist 


REPORT ON 

THE IRON ORES OF MARYLAND 



WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE IRON INDUSTRY 

BY 


JOSEPH T. SINGEWALD, JR. 

M 


(Special Publication, Volume IX, Part III) 


r? Sr 
/ £ 


THE JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS • 

Baltimore, December, 1911 











V 


n, ffi ft- 

sre so 




i 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

PART III. REPORT ON THE IRON ORES OF MARYLAND, WITH AN 

ACCOUNT OF THE IRON INDUSTRY. By Joseph T. Sxngewald, Jr. 121 

The Ores of Iron.123 

Magnetite . 124 

Hematite . 124 

Limonite . 124 

Carbonate or Siderite. 125 

Impurities in the Ores and Their Effects. 125 

Mechanical Impurities. 125 

Chemical Impurities. 126 

Practical Considerations. 127 

History of the Maryland Iron Industry. 128 

The Colonial Period. 128 

The Period from 1780 to 1830. 133 

• The Period from 1830 to 1885. 133 

The Period from 1885 to the present time. 136 

Description of Maryland Iron Works.139 

Maryland Furnaces. 139 

Garrett County..'... 139 

Allegany County. 139 

Washington County. 143 

Frederick County. 146 

Carroll County. 149 

Baltimore County. 150 

Baltimore City. 159 

Harford County. 160 

Cecil County. 162 

Howard County. 168 

Anne Arundel County. 169 

Prince George’s County. 171 

Worcester County. 172 

9 

Other Iron Works in Maryland. 173 

Allegany County. 173 

Baltimore County. 173 

Cecil County. 174 



































CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Queen Anne’s County. 176 

Caroline County. 176 

The Ikon Ores of Maryland. 178 

The Limonites. 179 

The Devonian Limonites. 179 

Helderberg-Oriskany Limonites. 180 

Washington County. 180 

Romney-Oriskany Limonites. 182 

Allegany County. 182 

Washington County. 184 

Cambro-Ordovician Limonites. 188 

Stratigraphy of the Cambro-Ordovician Rocks. 189 

Position of the Ores. 190 

Limestone Contact Deposits. 190 

Washington County. 191 

Frederick County. 193 

Catoctin Property. 194 

Residual Deposits in the Shenandoah Limestone. 202 

Washington County. 202 

Limonites in the Cambrian Shales. 203 

Frederick County. 203 

Limonites Associated with the Crystalline Limestones of the Pied¬ 
mont . 206 

Limonites of Carroll and Frederick Counties. 206 

Carroll County. 207 

Frederick County. 216 

Limonites of Baltimore and Harford Counties. 218 

Baltimore County. 219 

Harford County. 225 

The Bog Iron Ores. 227 

The Formation of Bog Iron Ores. 227 

The Bog Iron Ores in Maryland. 228 

Caroline County. 229 

Dorchester County. 230 

Wicomico County. 230 

Worcester County. 230 

Limonites in Gabbro Areas. 232 

The Carbonates. 232 







































CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The Carbonates of the Coal Measures. 232 

Distribution of the Coal Measures in Maryland. 233 

Stratigraphy of the Maryland Coal Measures. 234 

Description of the Ores. 234 

The Occurrence of the Ores. 237 

Extent of Development. 241 

Garrett and Allegany Counties. 241 

Origin of the Carbonate Ores. 248 

The Coastal Plain Carbonates. 253 

The Arundel Formation. 253 

The Arundel Ores. 255 

Origin of the Arundel Ores. 257 

Mining Operations. 258 

Cecil County. 259 

Baltimore County. 262 

Howard County. 275 

Anne Arundel County. 278 

Prince George’s County. 285 

The Hematites. 291 

The Red Hematites of Allegany County. 291 

Distribution of the Clinton Formation in Maryland. 292 

Stratigraphic Position of the Clinton Rocks. 293 

Character of the Clinton Rocks. 293 

Description of the Clinton Ores. 295 

Extent of Development. 299 

Allegany County. 299 

Amount of Clinton Ore. 300 

Origin of the Clinton Ores. 301 

The Specular Hematite of Carroll County. 308 

Description of the Ore. 308 

Extent of Development. 309 

Carroll County. 309 

The Magnetites. 312 

Magnetites in the Loudon Formation of Frederick County. 312 

Occurrence of the Ore. 313 

Description of the Ore. 313 

Extent of Development. 314 

Frederick County. 314 








































CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Magnetites in Schistose Rocks of the Piedmont. 315 

Frederick County...,. 315 

Carroll County. 317 

Howard County. 318 

Harford County. 319 

Magnetites in the Serpentines. 319 

Harford County. 320 

Baltimore County. 320 

Summary . 322 

Manganese in Maryland . 325 


INDEX 


329 













ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATE FACING I 5 AGE 

VII. Map of Maryland showing Furnace Locations. 128 

VIII. Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces— 

Fig. 1.—Ruin of Blast Furnace, Lonaconing, Allegany County.. 136 

Fig. 2.—Catoctin Furnace, Thurmont, Frederick County. 136 

IX. Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces— 

Fig. 1.—Blast Furnaces, Maryland Steel Company, Sparrows 

Point, Baltimore County. 152 

Fig. 2.—Principio Furnace, Principio, Cecil County. 152 

X. Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces— 

Fig. 1.—Ruins of Elkridge Furnace, Elkridge, Howard County.. 164 
Fig. 2.—Muirkirk Furnace, Muirkirk, Prince George’s County.. 164 

XI. Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces— 


Fig. 1.—Curtis Creek Furnace, Furnace Creek, Anne Arundel 


County. 168 

Fig. 2.—Nassawango Furnace (1900), near Snow Hill, Worcester 

County. 168 

XII. Map of Maryland showing distribution of Iron Ores. 176 

XIII. Index Map showing position of plates. 178 

XIV. Location of Limonite Ore Banks in parts of Washington County. 180 

XV. Location of Ore Banks in part of Frederick County. 192 

XVI. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Carroll and Baltimore Coun¬ 
ties . 208 

XVIT. View of Maryland Iron Ore Banks— 

Fig. 1.—Iron Ore at Contact of Limestone and Volcanics, Bach¬ 
man Valley, Carroll County. 212 

Fig. 2.—Nodule of sandy iron carbonate in Arundel Formation, 

near Milton Avenue, Baltimore City. 212 

XVIII. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Baltimore and Harford Coun¬ 
ties . 216 

XIX. Locations at which Bog Ore has been mined in Southeastern 

Maryland. 228 

XX. Location of Ore Banks in Garrett and Allegany Counties. 240 

XXI. View showing Nodular Ore in Arundel Clay, Anne Arundel 

County, Reynold’s Ore Bank. 256 

XXII. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Harford and Baltimore 

Counties . 260 

XXIII. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Baltimore and Anne Arundel 

Counties. 264 

XXIV. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Baltimore, Howard, Anne 

Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. 272 

XXV. Location of Ore Banks in parts of Frederick, Carroll and How¬ 
ard Counties. 308 






















ILLUSTRATIONS 


FIGURES PAGE 

1. Fireback made at Patuxent Furnace, 1738. 171 

2. Location of Ore Banks about North Mountain. 185 

3. Sketch showing development of ore bank one mile north of Catoctin 

Furnace. 194 

4. Diagram showing structure on east side of Catoctin Mountain. 

(After Keith). 197 

5. Sketch showing ore workings at Chestnut Hill ore banks. 209 

6. Map showing location of Maryland coal basins. 233 

7. Generalized section showing Maryland coal seams. 235 

8. Diagram showing position of Howard County magnetites. 318 










PREFACE. 


Notwithstanding the former importance of the iron industry of 
Maryland, information in regard to its iron ores has been very 
scanty and indefinite. An investigation of the iron ores was un¬ 
dertaken, therefore, in order to determine the possibilities of the 
State in this respect in the future. 

During the summer of 1908, the ores of the Appalachian and 
Piedmont regions were investigated in the field by the author, as¬ 
sisted for a short time by Mr. R. C. Williams. The report on this 
work was prepared during the following winter, and used by the 
author for a dissertation, an abstract of which was published in 
Economic Geology that same year. The work was again taken up 
in the fall of 1910, and the Coastal Plain iron ores and the man¬ 
ganese ores investigated. The report on these and the portion deal¬ 
ing with the iron industry in the State were prepared in the early 
part of 1911. 

The analyses accompanying the report, except where otherwise 
stated, were made in the laboratory of the Maryland Geological 
Survey by Drs. E. G. Zies and E. E. Gill. 

















. 











PART III 


REPORT ON THE IRON ORES OF [MARY¬ 
LAND, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 
THE IRON INDUSTRY 

By 


Joseph T. Singe wald, Je. 




REPORT ON THE IRON ORES OF MARY¬ 
LAND, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 
THE IRON INDUSTRY 

By 

Joseph T. Singewald, Jr. 


THE OEES OF IEOH. 

\ 

The ores of iron are chemical combinations of the metal, or ele¬ 
ment, iron with oxygen, oxygen and water, and carbonic acid. The 
combinations of iron with oxygen alone are the oxides and comprise 
two classes of ore,—Magnetite (FesO-i) and Hematite (Fe20s). 
The combinations of iron with oxygen and water are the hydroxides 
and the ores are known as Limonites (Ee^Oa . nH20) or Brown 
Hematites. The combinations of iron ore with carbonic acid are 
the Carbonates, and these ores are known as Siderite (FeCO-?) or 
Spathic ores. The table shows the ideal composition of these ores 
of iron. 


IDEAL COMPOSITION OF OEES OF IRON. 


Ee 0 H 2 0 C0 2 

Magnetite. 72.4 27.6 

Hematite. 70.0 30.0 

Limonite. 59.9 25.7 14.4 

Siderite . 48.3 13.8 37.9 


This table gives the maximum content of iron in pure ores. As 
a matter of fact, the ores never occur in the pure condition, but 
are always mixed with impurities, the character and amount of 
which depend on the kind and origin of the ore. Moreover, a fur¬ 
nace never yields the full percentage of the iron in the ore, as some 







124 


Ieon Okes of Maeyland 


of it is lost in the slag. Hence, the yield of iron per ton of ore is 
always considerably below the percentages given in the table. 


MAGNETITE. 

Magnetite (Fes 04 ) receives its name from the fact that it is 
readily attracted by a magnet. Its color is always black and it oc¬ 
curs either as crystals usually of octahedral form, or massive. It 
frequently contains considerable titanium oxide (Ti 02 ), when it is 
called titaniferous magnetite. The streak of magnetite is black. 


HEMATITE. 

Hematite (Fe^Os) occurs in two varieties known respectively as 
Red Hematite and Specular Hematite. If the ore has an earthy 
texture, its color is red and it is known as red hematite; if it is crys¬ 
tallized, it is of a steel gray to iron black color with metallic lustre 
and is called specular hematite. The powder of both varieties is red 
and they are thus distinguished readily from all other ores of iron. 


LIMONITE. 

Limonite (Fe 2 C >3 . 11 H 2 O), also known as Brown Hematite, is 
extremely variable in form, mode of occurrence, and color. In gen¬ 
eral its color is brown, but it grades off into bright yellows and reds. 
It is distinguished from the preceding ores in having a yellowish 
brown streak. 

The chief varieties of limonite are the compact, the ocherous, and 
the bog ores. The compact ores are the purest form of limonite. 
They occur in the form of “pipe ore,” “pots,” etc. The pipe ores 
are built up as stalactites and stalagmites. The pots have a con¬ 
cretionary structure. These ores occur in pockets or layers in the 
ocherous ores and clays. The bog ores are of *a loose and porous 
texture and usually contain a large percentage of impurities. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


125 


CARBONATE OR SIDERITE. 

Iron Carbonate (FeCOs) also known as Siclerite or Spathic ore, 
occurs in three varieties,—the ordinary brown carbonate, clay iron¬ 
stone, and black band. When the carbonate is of concretionary 
structure and contains much clay it is called clay ironstone. When 
these concretions become enlarged and coalesce to form beds and con¬ 
tain considerable bituminous matter, they are called ‘‘black band.” 
The streak of the pure carbonate is white, but as these ores are usu¬ 
ally more or less weathered, they give a brownish streak and cannot 
be separated on this basis from the limonites. 


IMPURITIES IN THE ORES AND TIIEIR EFFECTS. 

The impurities occurring with iron ores are of two kinds, me¬ 
chanical and chemical. The former have no influence on the qual¬ 
ity of the iron produced, whereas the latter usually greatly affect 
the properties of the finished product. 

Mechanical Impurities. 

The most common mechanical impurities are silica and alumina. 
To remove these, fluxes must be added to the ore. The result is that 
the percentage of iron per ton of material put into the furnace is 
decreased, and the yield of the furnace per unit capacity reduced. 
In the limonites, the silica and alumina usually occur in the form 
of sand or chert, and clay. In such cases an equivalent amount of 
limestone or dolomite must be added to remove them. It frequently 
happens that the silica occurs in combinations with bases which are 
to some extent self-fluxing, so that the fluxing material required is 
less than in the former case. This is especially true with some mag¬ 
netites which occur associated with silicates bearing iron, lime, 
magnesia, etc., as bases. Ores are sometimes found in which the 
ratio of the bases naturally present to the .silica is such that they 
are completely self-fluxing. 


126 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


These impurities are readily reduced to a minimum by various 
mechanical processes, as washing, jigging, or magnetic separation in 
the case of magnetites, and even by hand picking. The extent to 
which this concentration is carried on depends on the expense of the 
operation and the increased value of the product. 

Chemical Impurities. 

The most common of the chemical impurities are phosphorus, sul¬ 
phur, manganese and titanium. 

Phosphorus is the most difficult of the deleterious impurities in 
iron ores to remove. Its effect is to render the iron cold-short, that 
is, brittle when cold. The maximum percentage of phosphorus per¬ 
missible in steel is Vi o of 1 per cent, and as phosphorus cannot be 
eliminated in the blast furnace or in the converter in the acid- 
Bessemer process, iron ores are classified as Bessemer and non- 
Bessemer ores. Bessemer ores bring a little higher price than the 
non-Bessemer. There are now processes in which high-phosphorus 
pig iron can be used. In these, the basic Bessemer and the basic 
Open Hearth, the phosphorus becomes an essential constituent and 
is almost entirely eliminated by being made to' pass off in the slag. 
The amount of phosphorus should lie between two and three per 
cent. The difficulty with these processes is that they are slower and 
more expensive than the acid. While phosphorus is extremely detri¬ 
mental in iron which is to be converted to steel, there are some cases 
in which a considerable amount of phosphorus is of advantage and 
even necessary. Its presence in cast iron renders the latter easily 
fusible and keeps it longer in the melted state, so that it can fill in¬ 
tricate molds for ornamental castings where a more sluggish iron 
would chill. 

Sulphur is a detrimental element in an iron ore because it ren¬ 
ders the resulting pig red-short, that is, brittle when hot. High- 
sulphur steel cracks while it is being hot-rolled, and has its welding 
capacity greatly decreased. In the making of steel for simple shapes 
a content of %o of 1 per cent, is allowable. Sulphur is partially 


]\Iaryland Geological Survey 


127 


eliminated in the blast furnace by combining with the bases of the 
slag. If it occurs in quantities greater than one per cent., the ore 
must be roasted, and this of course adds to the cost of the iron pro¬ 
duced from it. 

Manganese confers the quality of hot-ductility to steel, and also 
raises the critical temperature to which it is safe to beat the steel. 
It has been discovered that a high manganese content makes the steel 
brittle under shock and the allowable limit has been lowered to about 
1 per cent. High manganese ores are used for the manufacture of 
spiegeleisen and ferro-manganese, which are added to low man¬ 
ganese steel. 

Titanium has no injurious effects on the quality of the pig iron 
as it passes into the slag. The objection to it is due to the fact that 
it raises the temperature of fusion of the slag, causes greater loss of 
iron in the slag, and causes accretions of nitrocyanide of titanium 
in the furnace hearth. These difficulties can in part be overcome 
by special methods. In general trade, however, an ore should not 
contain over one per cent, of titanium. 

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. 

Aside from the above considerations which decide whether an ore 
itself is or is not adapted to furnace use, there are a number of 
practical considerations which are just as important in deciding 
the value of an ore deposit. In fact the intrinsic value of an iron 
ore affects only to a small degree its commercial value. The ques¬ 
tions of cost of mining, proximity of fuel, flux, and water are the 
real factors which decide whether an iron ore deposit has any eco¬ 
nomic value. An excellent iron ore may be so situated that the cost 
of mining and bringing it to market is prohibitive. The ore itself, 
the flux, and the fuel are bulky products and the item of transpor¬ 
tation is a most important one. When all of these factors are favor¬ 
able a comparatively low grade ore can readily be utilized at a profit, 
whereas many high grade ores less favorably situated are absolutely 
worthless. 


128 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


HISTORY OF THE MARYLAND IRON INDUSTRY. 

The Colonial Period. 

The credit of the discovery of iron ore in Maryland seems to 
belong to Captain John Smith. In his voyage up the Chesapeake 
Bay in 1608, he entered the Patapsco River which he named Bolus, 
because of the red clay found there, resembling “bole armoniack and 
terre sigillata.” Later in the year, he sent two barrels of iron ore 
specimens to England to be examined, but it is not known whether 
they were from Maryland or Virginia, or what were the results 
of the examination. Attention was called to a superficial deposit 
of iron ore in Baltimore County in 1648 by Plantagenet, who esti¬ 
mated a saving to the iron manufacturer of £3 per ton; “another 
£5 would be saved in fuel by using drift wood and timber floated 
down the rivers, and thus the labor of each man would yield him 
5s lOd per diem, iron being valued at £12 per ton.” In 1681, the 
Legislature, to prevent the exportation of old iron and to encourage 
the smiths, imposed a duty on such exportations. The manufacture 
of iron seems to have begun about this time. 

In 1719, the General Assembly of Maryland passed an act for 
the encouragement of iron manufacture within the Province. 
This act reads: 

“An Act for the encouragement of an iron manufacture within this Province. 

“Whereas, It is represented to this present General Assembly that there 
are very great conveniences of carrying on Iron Works within this Province 
which have not hitherto been embraced for want of proper encouragement to 
some first undertakers, although the consequences thereof might not only 
be considerably advantageous to the persons immediately concerned there¬ 
with, but also to the public trade of Great Britain and this Province, * * * 

therefore be it 

“Enacted, that if any person or persons shall desire to set up a forging 
mill or other conveniences for carrying on Iron Works on lands not before 
cultivated adjoining a stream, he may get a writ ad quod damnum. On the 
return of this, if the owner refuses to build such mill and gives securities 
to complete it within four years, the governor may grant one hundred 
acres, the owner being paid for it. Grantee is to give bond to begin the 
mill within six months and to finish it in four years. Workmen at the mill, 
not exceeding eighty are to be levy free. If pig iron is not run in seven 
years, the grant is void.” 

A later act, in 1721, exempted workmen at furnaces, forges and 
mills from labor upon the highways, which at the time were kept 
in repair by assessment of the labor of the taxable inhabitants. 


VOLUME IX. PLATE VII. 

7 fiQO' 





76 on' 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 


7700 


70”OO' 


7800 


19 00’ 


rrib/Br Zi ukZ 


tagerstaisai 


****'JBptC 


M ARY LAND 

SHOWING 

FURNACE LOCATIONS 




&HTI 


WASHINGTON 


S GALE 

1 1,250,000. 20 Miles — 1 In civ 


f i ljp_*jctmdrVJ 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

WM. BULLOCK CLARK, STATE GEOLOGIST 

1909 


ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MARYLAND FURNACES 


Mount Savage Furnaces 2 
Muirkirk Furnace 44 
Nassawango Furnace 46 
Northampton Furnace 21 
Oregon Furnace 26 
Patapsco Furnace 31 
Patuxent Furnaces 43 
Principio Furnace 88 
Rock Forge Furnace 7 
Rough and Ready Furnaces 84 
Russell Furnace 89 
Sarah Furnace 87 
Savage Furnaces 41 
Stickney Furnaces 28 
Whittaker Furnace 18 


Harford Furnace 36 

Johnson Furnace 14 

Joppa Iron Works 20 

Kingsbury Furnace 28 

La Grange Furnace 36 

Laurel Furnace 83 

Legh Furnace 16 

Lena Furnace 6 

Locust Grove Furnace 22 

Lonaconing Furnace (Knoxville) II 

Lonaconing Furnace (Lonaconing) 

Mariah Furnace 9 

Maryland Furnaces 82 

Maryland Steel Co. Furnaces 27 

Mount Etna Furnace 8 


Antietam Furnace 10 
Ashland Furnace 24 
Bowery Furnaces 8 
Catoctin Furnaces 11 
Cedar Point Furnaces 80 
Chesapeake Furnaces 29 
Curtis Creek Furnace 42 
Elba Furnace 17 
Elkridge Furnace 40 
Fielderia Furnace 13 
Friendsville Furnace 1 
Greenspring Furnace 6 
Gunpowder Furnace 19 
Gwynns Falls Furnace 20 
Hampton Furnace 12 


76°OC' 




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Maryland Geological Survey 


129 


The statement in the preamble of the Act of 1719 that, “there are 
very great conveniences of carrying on Iron Works within this 
Province, which have not hitherto been embraced for want of proper 
encouragement to some first undertakers,” is regarded by some as a 
clear implication that iron enterprises had already been undertaken 
in Maryland, but were not then in operation. There is other evi¬ 
dence showing that iron enterprises had existed before that date. 
Scrivenor says that in 1718, Maryland and Virginia exported to 
England 3 tons 7 cwt. of bar iron. A deed of 1716, mentions iron 
works near the bottom of the main falls of North East, which Swank 
thinks must have been a bloomery, as there was no furnace then in 
existence which could have supplied pig iron to a forge. This is 
the earliest iron works of which we have any record, and antedates 
1716. A few years later, there was a forge on this site owned by the 
Principio Company. 

Shortly after the passage of the Act of 1719, the Principio Com¬ 
pany, of which a full account is given in the next chapter, was 
formed and a furnace erected near the present Principio station in 
Cecil County, which was the first furnace built in Maryland. The 
second furnace in the State was erected in 1723, on John Moale’s 
land at the mouth of Gwynns Falls, where there were also ore 
banks at that time. John Moale vigorously opposed an attempt to 
have the General Assembly lay out that land as a town site, as he 
regarded it of far more value for its ore. The founding of Balti¬ 
more was thus delayed, and its site changed somewhat by the starting 
of the iron industry, so that for some time old Joppa was the most 
important town in the Province. 

As a result of the encouragement given by the General Assembly, 
there were in 1754 seven furnaces and eight forges; and in 1758 
eight furnaces and ten forges making about 2500 tons of pig iron 
and 600 tons of bar iron annually. By the time of the Revolution, 
seventeen furnaces had been erected, of which all but probably four 
were in operation, and during the war they were called upon to 
furnish the American armies with cannon and cannon balls. About 
seventeen or eighteen forges were also being run at this time. 


130 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Johnson, in his history of Cecil County, says that the forges 
before the Revolution, and until a comparatively recent period, were 
very crude affairs. The blast was made by a curious circular bellows, 
which was operated by means of a water-wheel, very little machinery 
or gearing being used. So crude were these forges that there was 
a water-wheel for each bellows and hammer; consequently, one forge 
building often contained several water-wheels. 

The profits of the business in the early years must have been 
quite large, but decreased somewhat later as the prices fell and the 
costs increased. In 1727, pig iron sold at the Principio furnace at 
£10 per ton, and the books of the Company show that it cost £4 5s 9d 
to make. Blooms were worth £25 and bar iron £35 per ton, but the 
cost of making these at that time is not known. In 1754, prices had 
fallen, and pig iron was worth only £8, blooms £18, and bar iron 
from £28 to £30. At that time bar iron cost £21 10s to make. In 
1773 the price of pig iron was £8 per ton and bar iron £26 per ton. 

The output of pig iron and bar iron in Maryland in the years 
1750 to 1755 inclusive, is given in the table from a report by 
Governor Sharpe in 1758. 


TABLE SHOWING PRODUCTION OF PIG IRON AND BAR IRON IN MARYLAND FROM 

1750 TO 1755. 



Pig 

f 

— Bar 

Iron.- 


Year. 

Iron. 

T. 

Cwt. 

Q. 

Lbs. 

1750. 

. 1,424 

518 

2 

2 

18 

1751. 

. 3,005 

622 

2 

1 

10 

1752. 

. 1,390 

635 

17 

3 

16 

1753. 

. 3,076 

573 

13 

3 

0 

1754. 

. 1,978 

534 

0 

3 

2 

1755. 

. 1,331 

640 

18 

0 

8 


A large part of the pig iron produced in Maryland during the 
Colonial period was exported to England. Alexander gives two 
tables which he has taken from Scrivenor’s Memoir on the Iron 
Trade. One shows the amount of pig iron and bar iron imported 
from Maryland into Great Britain, exclusive of Scotland, during 
the period from 1718 to 1755; the other shows the quantity imported 
into Scotland during the period 1742 to 1746. 










Maryland Geological Survey 


131 


PIG IRON AND BAR IRON IMPORTED FROM MARYLAND INTO GREAT BRITAIN. 


Pig Iron.- f -Bar Iron. 


Year. 

T. 

Cwt. 

Q. 

Lbs. 

T. 

Cwt. 

Q. 

Lbs. 


1718. 





3 

7 

0 

0 

The returns are 

1729. 

. . 852 

16 

1 

11 





from 1710, hut 

1730. 

. . 1,526 

15 

1 

15 





no imports 

1731. 

. . 2,081 

2 

0 

27 





were made un- 

1732. 

. . 2,226 

3 

2 

0 





til 1718. 

1733. 

.. 2,309 

11 

3 

22 





Duty on bar 

1734. 

. . 2,042 

2 

2 

3 





iron, per ton. 

1735. 

. . 3,362 

8 

0 

17 

44 

9 

6 

21 

£2 Is. 6d. to 

1739. 

. . 2,242 

2 

2 

14 

... 

. , 

# 

. . 

15d. 

1740. 

. . 2,020 

2 

0 

22 

5 

0 

0 

0 

Duty on pig 

1741. 

. . 3,261 

8 

1 

5 

5 

0 

0 

0 

iron, per ton, 

1742. 

. . 1,926 

3 

1 

5 

... 

. . 

. 

. . 

3s. 9.45d. 

1743. 

. . 2,816 

1 

1 

15 

... 

. . 

. 


No printed re- 

1744. 

. . 1,748 

4 

1 

3 

57 

0 

0 

0 

turns appear 

1745. 

. . 2,130 

16 

1 

10 

4 

5 

2 

14 

to have been 

1746. 

. . 1,729 

1 

0 

2 

193 

8 

3 

12 

made from 

1747. 

. . 2,119 

0 

3 

24 

82 

11 

2 

11 

1719 to 1728, 

1748. 

. . 2,017 

11 

3 

10 

... 

. . 

. 

. . 

inclusive. 

1749. 



. 

. . 

... 

. . 

. 

. . 

No return. 

1750. 

. . 2,508 

16 

1 

25 

5 

17 

3 

0 


1751. 

. . 2,950 

5 

3 

15 

3 

4 

2 

9 


1752. 

. . 2,762 

8 

0 

4 

16 

10 

2 

4 


1753. 

. . 2,347 

9 

2 

18 

97 

18 

0 

19 


1754. 

. . 2,591 

4 

3 

17 

153 

15 

1 

8 


1755. 

. . 2,132 

15 

1 

22 

299 

1 

3 

0 



PIG IRON AND BAR IRON IMPORTED FROM MARYLAND INTO SCOTLAND. 


Year. 

r 

-Pig Iron. 

■ ' 

,■-- Bar Iron.- 

Michaelmas. 

T. 

Cwt. 

Q. 

Lbs. 

T. Cwt. Q. Lbs. 

1742-3.. 

1 

12 

2 

18 

1 16 3 8 The returns are 

1744-5. 

27 

14 

3 

0 

. in fact from 

1748-9. 

144 

16 

0 

18 

. 1739, but no 

St. John Bap. 





imports were 

1750-1. 


. . 

. 

. . 

. made until the 

1752. 

35 

0 

0 

0 

. date men- 

1753. 

20 

0 

0 

0 

. tioned. No im- 

1754. 

25 

0 

0 

0 

. ports for 1743- 

1755. 


. . 

. 

. . 

. 4, nor for 

1756. 




. . 

. 1746-8. Of the 






entire import 


from the Colonies during these ten years, 1739-49, Maryland fur¬ 
nished nearly two-thirds. No returns from September 29, 1749, to 
June 24, 1750. Of entire quantity imported in these six years, Mary¬ 
land furnished rather more than one-third. 

The activity in the manufacture of iron involved of necessity an 
equal activity in the mining of ore. As has already been stated, 
ore was first discovered on the Patapsco Piver, and this section was 
one of the earliest sources of ore, and also the most important source 






















































132 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


during this period. Ore must have been mined near the mouth of 
G wynns Falls as early as the establishment of the furnace there in 
1723. In 1724, the Principio Company acquired rights to the ore 
on Gorsuch Point; and in 1727 to that on Whetstone Point. These 
ores were the carbonates of the Arundel formation, and they were 
the mainstay of the early furnaces. The first ten furnaces in the 
Province, erected in the period from 1722 to 1760, were located in 
the area in which the Arundel ores occur. In 1760, the ores farther 
west began to be used. In that year, the Hampton furnace was 
built in Frederick County, near Emmitsburg, to use the limonites 
of that region, and this was followed by three others in Washington 
County, one in Carroll, and finally, in 1774, by the Catoctin in 
Frederick County, which was the last furnace built during the 
Colonial period. 

Thus by the time of the Revolution, the two most important classes 
of ore in Maryland had been recognized and were being extensively 
used. Notwithstanding the fact that the seventeen furnaces which 
had been built during this period were being supplied with ore from 
Maryland mines, there was such an abundance of ore available that 
part of the output went to Virginia furnaces. 

At the same time that the General Assembly was passing measures 
to encourage the building up of an iron industry in Maryland, the 
attitude of the British Government was to discourage its growth in 
the Colonies, as it was feared that it would transfer the trade in 
such articles from the mother country to the Colonies. The question 
as to what attitude on the part of the mother country toward the 
Colonies in this respect would be most favorable for the British iron 
industry and British commerce was much discussed. The consensus 
of opinion was that a duty should be levied on American iron to 
protect the English manufacturer, and that the manufacture of iron 
wares in the Colonies should be discouraged. Accordingly, in 1719, 
the year in which the first act to encourage the establishment of 
iron enterprises in Maryland was passed, the House of Commons 
passed a bill containing a clause “that none in the plantations should 
manufacture iron wares of any kind out of any sows, pigs, or bars 


Maryland Geological Survey 


133 


whatsoever.” This bill was defeated in the House of Lords through 
the opposition of the Colonies. 

By 1750, opinion in England had changed somewhat. It had 
been pointed out that she annually bought from her enemies, Sweden 
and Russia, pig iron, for which she had to pay in gold. The 
American iron was found to be just as good as the Swedish, and 
could be had in exchange for other wares, and thus the country 
would not he continuously drained of its gold. In that year, a bill 
was passed admitting pig and bar iron from the Colonies into 
England free of duty, and prohibiting the erection of any mill for 
slitting or rolling iron or any plating-forge to work with. a tilt- 
hammer, or any furnace for making steel. A clause requiring the 
destruction of all such works already in existence failed to pass. 

The tables of imports from Maryland given on preceding pages 
indicate that this change in policy had no effect on the production 
of pig iron in this Province, as they show no essential increase in 
the exports from that time on. It must have had the effect, however, 
of retarding the development of the manufacture of finished iron 
products out of the crude iron. 

The Period from 1780 to 1830. 

During the period from 1780 to 1830, the iron industry of the 
State made but little progress. Only seven new furnaces were built, 
four of which were in the western part of the State, as against 
seventeen in an equal period before the Revolution; and six furnaces 
were abandoned during that time. It was toward the close of this 
period that the first attempt to work the carbonates of the Coal 
Measures was made; and the furnace at Friendsville was erected in 
1828, but was operated only a few years. The production of pig 
iron in 1810 reached 5,000 tons, but in 1830 had dropped back to 
3,163 tons. 

The Period from 1830 to 1885. 

This period was the most important in the history of our iron 
industry. The beginning is marked by an era of furnace building 


134 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


which lasted until 1855; then followed a nearly stationary period 
of ten years; and in 1865, a rapid decline set in which was charac¬ 
terized until 1880 by the shutting down of the less favorably located 
furnaces, but showed no diminution in the total production, and 
after that by a rapid decrease in production and a shutting down of 
most of the furnaces around Baltimore. 

During the period from 1830 to 1855, pig iron commanded a high 
price, often selling for as much as $75.00 per ton. The cost of 
manufacture of a ton of pig iron in Maryland in 1839 was estimated 
by Alexander at about $24.00 per ton. These unusually high prices 
were caused by the great demand for iron at that time. It was the 
period when iron came into general use, and the extensive building 
of railroads was begun. To meet this demand, furnaces began to 
spring up on all sides; and in this State twenty-seven new furnaces 
were erected, and but five of the old ones were abandoned. The 
industry spread itself over the entire State. On the southern part 
of the Eastern Shore, the ETassawango furnace was built to utilize 
the bog ores of that section, and in the Georges Creek Basin of 
western Maryland five new furnaces were erected. Seven new 
furnaces were built to use the limonites and magnetites of central 
Maryland, and a dozen new furnaces were put up to use the Arundel 
ores in Baltimore and its immediate vicinity. 

In 1830, the production of pig iron was only 3,165 tons, by 1833 
it had increased to 5,800 tons with a value of $400,000, and in 
1855 it had reached nearly 30,000 tons. The annual production of 
ore had gone up to about 100,000 tons in the same time. The 
following list of Maryland furnaces and their capacity was given 
by DeBow in 1853 in his “Industrial Resources, Etc., of the 
Southern and Western States.” 


FURNACES IN MARYLAND IN 1853. 


Furnace. 

Lonaconing. 

Mount Savage. 

Lena. 

Antietam . 

Green Spring. 

Blue Ridge.. 

Catoctin. 


Stacks. 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 


County. 
Allegany. 


Washington 

(( 

Frederick . 

<< 


Capacity, tons 
per annum. 

3,000 

6,000 

1.500 

2.500 
1,000 
3,000 

1.500 












Maryland Geological Survey 


135 


furnaces in Maryland in 1853—Continued. 


Furnace. 

Stacks. 

County. 

Capacity, tons 
per annum. 

Elba . 

. 1 

Howard. 

. ’ 1,500 

Muirkirk . 


Anne Arundel.. . 

. 2,000 

Curtis Creek. 


it 

2,000 

Patuxent . 


it 

4,000 

Elkridge. 

. 1 

<( 

2,000 

Nassawango. 

. 1 

Worcester. 

. 1,500 

Ashland . 

. 2 

Baltimore. 

. 7,000 

Oregon . 

. 1 

it 

4,000 

Gunpowder . 

. 1 

it 

2,500 

Harford . 

. 1 

Harford. 

. 1,500 

LaGrange . 

. 1 

it 

1,000 

Sarah . 

. 1 

a 

1,500 

Havre de Grace. 

. 2 

a 

5,000 

Principio . 

. 1 

Cecil. 

. 2,000 

Maryland . 

. 1 

Baltimore City.. 

. 2,500 

Laurel. 

. 1 

it 

2,500 

Chesapeake . 

. 1 

a 

2,500 

Cedar Point. 

. 2 

a 

5,000 

Locust Grove. 

. 1 

tt 

2,000 


31 


70,500 


In 1855, the furnace building activity liad come to an end, and 
there was not another furnace built until 1864, when a third stack 
was erected at Ashland. In fact, a slight decline set in, and from 
1855 to 1860 five furnaces were abandoned. At the outbreak of 
the Civil War, the great demand for iron again brought on a boom 
and many of the furnaces which had become idle during the three 
or four years immediately preceding, started up again. 

The next twenty years, 1865 to 1885, marked the rapid decline 
of the iron industry in Maryland. Only two or three new furnaces 
were built, and twenty-seven of the old ones were abandoned. At 
first it was chiefly the furnaces less favorably situated with respect 
to market, that were forced to close, but toward the last few years 
most of the furnaces around Baltimore also closed in rapid succes¬ 
sion. Until 1880, this decline was not shown in the figures of 
production, as can be seen from the two tables at the end of this 
chapter, showing the production of iron ore and of pig iron in Mary¬ 
land. The production of pig iron in that year was still as high as 
it had been, and the production of iron ore was the maximum 
recorded. Maryland, however, was merely standing still, while the 
rest of the country was rapidly forging ahead. In 1870, her pro- 






























136 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


duction of 54,204 tons of pig iron, gave her fifth rank among the 
iron-producing States; whereas, in 1880, her output of 53,271 tons 
put her in eleventh place. Moreover, her 98,354 tons of iron ore in 
1870 had a value of $600,246, or $6.10 per ton; but in 1880, her 
139,628 tons were worth only $421,691, or $3.02 per ton. The con¬ 
tinued decline in price of pig iron brought the value of ore to such 
a point that it could no longer be mined at a profit, and after 1880, 
the output of ore and pig iron decreased rapidly. 

This decline was brought about by a radical change in the nature 
of the iron industry. The Maryland industry was essentially a char¬ 
coal iron industry. Through some peculiar quality of the Arundel 
ores, the charcoal iron produced from them was of exceptionally high 
quality, and was greatly in demand for all purposes requiring a 
strong iron. Consequently, it commanded a higher price than even 
other charcoal iron. A flourishing and profitable industry resulted. 
Then came a complete change in conditions. The supply of iron 
became inadequate to the demand, and prices rose rapidly. The 
industrial development of the country required large quantities of 
iron at low prices. The iron industry of today was the result. The 
large deposits of the Lake Superior region and of Alabama came 
into the field, and extensive plants were built to manufacture iron 
in coke furnaces in enormous quantities, at much lower prices than 
the charcoal iron could be made. The extension and cheapening of 
transportation at the same time opened up to these plants the local 
markets of the charcoal furnaces. Finally, the introduction of steel 
reduced the market for the high grade charcoal iron to a minimum. 


The Period from 1885 to the Present Time. 

In 1885, only seven furnaces remained active. Two of these shut 
down in the next year or two. In 1891, the manufacture of pig iron 
was finally abandoned at Principio furnace. The two Stickney 
furnaces were dismantled in 1895 and 1896. Catoctin, in Frederick 
County, closed finally in 1903, and was torn down in 1905, leaving 
the furnace at Muirkirk the sole survivor. This furnace still sup¬ 
plies a very limited market with an exceptionally high grade charcoal 



Maryland Geological Survey 


Volume ix, Plate viii. 




COPYRIGHTED BY C. R. R. BECK, 1906 


FIG. 2. —CATOCTIN FURNACE, THURMONT, FREDERICK COUNTY 

Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces. 

















































































































Maryland Geological Survey 


137 


iron, which has shown a tensile strength of 41,000 pounds to the 
square inch. 

At the present time, the entire output of Maryland iron ore, with 
the exception of that used at Muirkirk, goes to furnaces outside the 
State. Within the past four years, a renewed interest has been 
shown in Maryland ores, and the deposits at Catoctin are again 
being worked on a large scale, and prospecting in Bachman Valley 
has disclosed a number of new deposits, in addition to those already 
recognized. 

Toward the close of the eighties, when the local iron industry, 
became almost extinct, the large plant of the Maryland Steel Com¬ 
pany at Sparrows Point was erected, and the production of this 
plant has again raised the rank of Maryland among the iron- 
producing States from thirteenth in 1890 to ninth place. ITo Mary¬ 
land ores are used at this plant, and most of the ores used there are 
brought from Cuba. 


TABLE SHOWING IRON ORE PRODUCTION IN MARYLAND. 


Year. 

Rank. 

Limonite. 

Carbonate. 

Total 
in tons. 

Total 

value. 

1850. 

3 



99,866 

$560,725 

1860. 

7 



79,200 

528,750 

1870. 

5 



98,354 

600,246 

1880. 

9 



139,628 

421,691 

1889. 

18 



68,240 

158,316 

1890. 

15 

18,061 

11,319 

29,380 

68,240 

1891. 


19,400 

17,979 

37,379 


1892. 


19,322 

20,849 

40,171 


1893. 


2,075 

11,755 

13,830 

25,585 

1894. 



7,915 

7,915 

17,809 

1895. 



981 

981 

1,962 

1896. 



11,502 

11,502 

23,004 

1897. 



11,500 

11,500 

23,000 

1898. 



5,941 

5,941 

11,882 

1899. 



3,428 

3,428 

4,628 

1900. 

17 

18,000 

8,233 

26,233 

55,735 

1901. 


14,993 

6,225 

21,218 

33,825 

1902. 


19,382 

4,985 

24,367 

46,911 

1903. 


4,775 

5,145 

9,920 

22,612 

1904. 


6,105 

3,541 

9,645 

18,007 

1905. 


6,259 

2,010 

8,269 

14,291 

1906. 


5,329 

612 

5,941 

9,930 

1907. 


12,000 


12,000 

20,872 

1908. 


16,301 


16,301 

29,205 

1909. 


23,888 


23,888 

46,786 

1910. 


14,062 


14,062 

29,105 




















































138 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


TABLE 

SHOWING 

PRODUCTION 

OF PIG IRON IN 

MARYLAND. 


Year. 

Rank. 

Amount. 

Year. 

Rank. 

Amount. 

1810. 


5,000 

1893 . 


151,773 

1828 . 


2,247 

1894 . 


5,600 

1829 . 


1,715 

1895 . 


10,916 

1830 . 


3,163 

1896 . 


79,472 

1840 . 


8,876 

1897 . 


193,702 

1850 . 


22,163 

1898 . 


190,974 

1860 . 


30,500 

1899 . 


234,477 

1870 . 

5 

54,204 

1900 . 

8 

290,073 

1880 . 

11 

53,271 

1901. 


303,186 

1886 . 


30,502 

1902 . 


303,229 

1887 . 


37,427 

1903 . 


324,570 

1888 . 

# # 

17,606 

1904 . 


293,441 

1889 . 

# , 

33,847 

1905 . 


332,096 

1890 . 

13 

165,559 

1906 . 


386,709 

1891. 

. # 

138,206 

1907 . 

9 

411,833 

1892 . 

• • 

99,131 

1908 . 


183,502 


PRODUCTION AND VALUE OF ORE BY COUNTIES IN 1870. 


Allegany. 9,300 tons. 832,500 value. 

Anne Arundel. 6,190 “ 24,660 “ 

Baltimore. 50,487 “ 438,303 “ 

Carroll . 18,300 “ 54,600 “ 

Frederick. 12,000 “ 42,800 “ 

Prince George’s. 2,077 “ 7,383 “ 


PRODUCTION OF ORE BY KINDS AND BY COUNTIES IN 1880. 


Anne Arundel. . 

Allegany . 3,494 

Baltimore . 23,309 

Carroll . 17,134 

Cecil . 2,016 

Frederick . 18,166 

Harford . 81 

Howard . . 

Montgomery. 

Prince George’s . . 

Washington . 560 


Value. 

$22,487 
11,788 
196,647 
45,584 
8,064 
40,506 

196 845 

14,675 53,737 

25 100 

12,019 41,433 

. 500 


Limonite. Carbonate. Hematite. Magnetite. 

6,184 . 

. 1,018 . 

40,533 . 

218 


64,760 73,632 1,018 218 $421,691 


The statistics of production by kinds and counties for 1890, 1900 
and 1910 cannot be given without disclosing the production of 
individual operators, as the output decreased greatly during the 
interval. 


























































































Maryland Geological Survey 


139 


DESCRIPTION OF MARYLAND IRON WORKS. 

This chapter contains a description of most of the iron works 
which have existed or still exist in Marvland. The furnaces are 

t 

first taken up by counties, and as full a description as the informa¬ 
tion available permits is given of each. A great many of the fur¬ 
naces are so old and the references to them so scant, and in some 
cases so conflicting, that the account is not always as full and definite 
as one might wish. The locations of the furnaces are given on the 
map, Plate VII. 

MARYLAND FURNACES. 

Garrett County. 

Friendsville Furnace .—A charcoal furnace and two forges were 
built in 1828-9 on the north side of Bear Creek, a branch of the 
Youghiogheny River, a half mile east of Friendsville. This is the 
only furnace that has been erected in Garrett County and was in¬ 
tended to use the carbonate ores of the Youghiogheny Coal Basin. 
Lack of transportation facilities made the cost of the iron too high, 
as it had to be hauled to the National road, and thence to Balti¬ 
more; consequently, the furnace shut down in 1S34. The forges 
were then removed to the west side of the Youghiogheny River, a 
half mile northeast of Friendsville, and remained in operation until 
1S45. The site of the old water-wheel at this locality can still be 
seen, and the walls of the coal house remain. 

Allegany County. 

Mt. Savage Furnaces .—At Mt. Savage three steam hot-blast coke 
furnaces were erected by the Nit. Savage Iron Company. The two 
older ones were on the south side of the creek just above Mt. Sav¬ 
age, and the newer one opposite them on the other side of the creek. 
This was on the site of the present clay bank. The ruins of the 
tivo older ones are still standing, but are nearly buried under the 


140 


Iron Ores of Maryland 

% 

dump of the clay bank. No. 1 and No. 2 furnaces were built in 
1840 and were 50 feet high and 15 feet wide at the boshes. No. 3 
was commenced in 1845, but was never lined. The furnaces were 
built with the intention of using the carbonate ores of the Coal 
Basin, but they had to depend on the “red fossil” ore around Cum¬ 
berland, and ores farther east in the State for their supply. The 
output of No. 2, in 1844, was 4,500 tons on a blast of forty weeks’ 
duration. No. 1, in 1846, in forty-four weeks produced 4,528 tons. 
The furnaces were shut down a few years before the Civil War, 
but were operated again during the War, and after that finally 
abandoned. 

At this same locality were the Mt. Savage Rolling Mills, erected 
by the Maryland and New York Iron and Coal Company, which 
achieved quite a fame in their time for rolling iron rails. The mill 
was erected in 1843, and consisted of 37 heating furnaces and two 
trains of steam driven rolls. In 1855, it produced 8,350 tons of 
rails out of equal quantities of pig iron and old rails. The mill 
was shut down in 1856 and dismantled in 1875. 

This plant was erected to roll iron rails, and in 1844 the first 
rails made in the United States that were not strap rails were made 
here. This was an inverted “U” rail weighing 42 pounds to the 
yard, of which 500 tons were rolled early in 1844, and laid on part 
of the railroad built from Cumberland to Mt. Savage. This type 
of rail was known in Wales as the Evans patent of the Dowlais Iron 
Works at Merthyr Tydvil, and was intended to be laid on a wooden 
longitudinal sill to which it was fastened by an iron wedge keying 
under the sill, thus dispensing with outside fastenings. In honor 
of this event, a silver medal, now in the museum of Ince Blundell 
of Lancashire, England, 1 was awarded in October of that year by tho 
Franklin Institute of Philadelphia. Later in that same year “T” 
rails weighing 50 pounds to the yard, ordered by Colonel Borden, 
of Fall River, Mass., were rolled for the railroad from Fall River 
to Boston. “T” rails were also sold to Boston purchasers in 1845 
and 1846 through the firm of Manning & Lee, in Baltimore. 1 


i J. Swank, Hist, of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages, 1892, 2d ed., p. 484. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


141 


The following interesting account of this plant is given in Hunt’s 
Merchants’ Magazine for 1849: 

“An English Company was formed about fifteen years ago to manufacture 
iron at Mt. Savage, but owing partly to mistaken management, and partly to 
the alteration of the tariff, they failed in business, and about two years 
ago were sold out by the sheriff. Their works consist of three blast furnaces, 
among the largest in the United States, the blast of which is carried on by 
a monster steam engine erected at a cost of $72,000, a puddling furnace and 
rolling mill large enough to employ six hundred men, a foundry, a fire-brick 
yard, a store, 320 houses for workmen, etc., * * * * besides iron and 

coal mines. From the balance sheets of the company, the works appear to 
have cost $1,600,000. The whole was sold to a company consisting of citi¬ 
zens of Albany, New York, and Boston for a little over $200,000. This com¬ 
pany is now busy making arrangements to open, as soon as the price of rail¬ 
road iron shall be such as to admit of successful competition with the Eng¬ 
lish article. At present the high price of labor in this country renders it im¬ 
possible to compete with the English manufacturers, who deprived of a 
market in Europe by the suspension of all works of internal improvement on 
the Continent, send all their stock to America. 

“The Mt. Savage establishment when in operation employs nearly four 
thousand workmen, mostly foreigners. These men are so banded together 
among themselves, and with workmen in other establishments, that they 
will remain idle or work at other business at one half what the company 
could afford to give them, rather than abate one cent from their wages. 
Puddlers, who formerly received three to five dollars per ton, could now 
earn two dollars and a half per ton, but they prefer to work in mines or on 
the canal for one half that amount. It is to be hoped that before long a 
peace in Europe, an alteration of the tariff, or a return to reason on the part 
of the workmen will bring the superior article made at Mt. Savage into gen¬ 
eral use on our railroads.” , 

Bowery Furnaces .—Two coke furnaces were erected at Midlothian 
in 186S by the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company. They used 
carbonate ores mined on the hill northwest of the furnaces, and 
brought down to the furnaces in tram cars, and also “fossil ore” 
from around Cumberland. The coal for the coke was obtained from 
the company’s mines at the furnaces, and the limestone for fluxing 
purposes chiefly from the hill east of Borden Shaft. After being 
operated about seven years the furnaces were abandoned. 

Lonaconing Furnace .—A steam hot-blast coke furnace was erected 
at Lonaconing, on the west side of George’s Creek by the George’s 
Creek Coal and Iron Company in 1837. It seems that there was an 
older charcoal furnace on this same site, but nothing is known in 
regard to it. Overman claims this was the first successful coke fur¬ 
nace in the United States. The stack, which is still standing (Plate 
VIII, Figure 1), is 50 feet high and 15 feet wide at the boshes, and is 


142 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


built of sandstone lined with brick. The blast was through two 
tuyeres blown at a pressure of 2^ pounds per square inch and 3200 
cubic feet per minute, by a 60 H. P. steam engine, and was heated to 
a temperature of 700° F. by stoves near the tuyere arches. Connected 
with the furnace was a foundry for machine and other castings. 
The average -weekly output for the first few years was 75 tons, and 
two hundred and twenty men were employed in the establishment. 
The principal ore used was the carbonate ore of that section, which 
was obtained chiefly from the hill back of the furnace, from where 
it was brought to the furnace on a tram road. The limestone flux 
was also obtained from this same hill. The tram road was first laid 
with four foot cast iron rails having the flange on the rail instead 
of on the wheel. These were satisfactory for one ton cars, but when 
two ton cars w r ere introduced, they were found to be too light, so in 
1854 the road was torn up and w T ooden tracks put down covered with 
iron bands. 

In the forties, the furnace was leased by Christopher Detmold, 
by whom a tram road with wooden tracks banded with sugar wood 
was built from the furnace to Clarysville on the National road. The 
operations throughout the history of the furnace suffered from an 
insufficient supply of ore, notwithstanding every effort of the com¬ 
pany to locate adequate sources; and consequently the project was 
finally abandoned in 1855, in which year 1,860 tons of iron were 
produced. 

Lena Furnace -—The Lena furnace was built in 1846 by J. F. 
Penniman, of New York, at the northwest end of Cumberland. The 
site of the furnace w T as on the north side of Columbia Avenue, be¬ 
tween Lena and Pulaski Streets, and the offices were on the south 
side of Columbia Avenue. It was built as a charcoal furnace, but 
was changed to a hot-blast coke furnace. The stack was 28 feet 
high and 8 feet wide at the boshes. After running for about six 
years it was shut down until the Civil War, when it was again put 
in blast and run until 1867. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


14a 


Washington County. 

Green Spring Furnace .—In 1770, Governor Johnson and a Mr. 
Jacques erected a furnace on Green Spring Run, one mile above its 
entrance into the Potomac River. The neighboring ore not being of 
good quality, the furnace was abandoned in 1775. 

At this same time James Johnson built the Licking Creek forge, 
at the mouth of Licking Creek, to use the pig iron from the furnace., 
When the furnace shut down, the forge was sold to a Mr. Cham¬ 
bers, of Chambersburg, Pa., who ran it until 1780 with pig iron 
from his furnace in Pennsylvania. 

On this same site, a hot-blast charcoal furnace, 35 feet high and 
8 feet wide at the boshes, was erected in 1848 by J. D. Roman and 
Company and managed by B. F. Roman. The remains of this stack 
are still standing. The furnace was supplied with ore from banks 
a mile or two to the north, and in 1856 produced in thirty-two weeks 
677 tons of forge and foundry iron. On the death of Mr. Roman, 
about 1865, the furnace passed into the hands of J. B. Haines and 
Company, and was operated by them until 1873. 

Rock Forge Furnace .—The Rock Forge Furnace was situated on 
Little Antietam Creek near Leitersburg. It was built in 1770 by 
Samuel and Daniel Hughes, and operated until 1795. A mile and a 
half below this furnace, on the same creek, they built a forge known 
as the Antietam forge, which continued in operation sometime after 
the furnace shut down, using pig iron from Pennsylvania. 

This furnace had the distinction of casting the first Maryland 
cannon during the Revolution. Bishop 1 states that “Daniel and 
Samuel Hughes were proprietors of an air furnace in Frederick 
County (afterward made Washington County). On July 1, 1776, 
the Maryland Convention authorized the Council of Safety to lend 
the proprietors for nine months the sum of £200 common money, to 
encourage them To prosecute their cannon foundry with spirit and 
diligence.’ They had then nearly completed a contract for casting 
cannon for the State, and were, a few days after, introduced to the 


iBishop: Hist, of American Manufactures, 1864, Vol. 1, p. 589. 



144 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Continental Congress by a letter from the Convention, which stated 
that the Messrs. Hughes had been at much expense in fitting up 
their works. Although their first guns did not stand the proof, 
the foundry was then in condition to make very good ones in greater 
numbers than the Province would possibly require. They proposed 
to enlarge their works if Congress would take all the guns they 
could make during the next year. A contract was made with them 
for 1,000 tons of cannon toward which $800 were advanced. In 
the same year, the people of Alexandria, Virginia, applied to Con¬ 
gress for permission to purchase cannon at the Messrs. Hughes’ 
furnace, stating that they were The only persons in this part of the 
continent to be depended on for cannon.’ In May, 1777, Congress 
allowed them $22-% per ton, in addition to the sum mentioned in 
the contract.” 

Mount Etna Furnace .—The Mount Etna furnace w T as situated at 
the fork in the road two miles southwest of Pondsville, and the site is 
still marked by traces of the old cinder bank. This furnace was built 
by Samuel and David Hughes subsequent to the erection of the Rock 
Forge furnace, and was managed by John Horine. A personal com¬ 
munication from Dr. E. Tracy Bishop of Smithsburg places the date 
of its erection in 1809. It was discontinued a few years after the 
close of the war of 1812. 

Mariah Furnace .—The Mariah furnace was located at Mousetown, 
a quarter of a mile east of the turnpike below Boonsboro. It shut 
down about thirty years ago, when it was operated by a Mr. Mc- 
Ginley, who had bought it from Samuel Bentz. 

Antietam Furnace and Iron Works .—These works were on the 
Potomac River at the mouth of Antietam Creek. The original 
company consisted of Joseph Chapline, Samuel Beall, Jr., David 
Ross, and Richard Henderson. The articles of agreement were 
dra,wn up February 4, 1763, and recorded October 31, 1765. Joseph 
Chapline furnished the land warrants and was paid £300 by each 
of the others. There are seven articles of agreement, in the second 
of which the limits of the tract are thus described: 1 “Beginning on 

lFrom an old newspaper clipping in possession of Mr. J. P. Smith, of 
Sharpsburg. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


145 


the Potowmack River, one hundred yards west of the Anti-Eatair* 
Creek and extending parallel to Anti-Eatam Creek until a west 
course will meet Beaver Creek, and then by the Marsh Branch of 
Beaver Creek, so as to include all the ore and wood of South Moun¬ 
tain, then down the east side to the Potowmack and up the Potow¬ 
mack to the beginning.” 

A second charcoal furnace 50 feet high and 15 feet wide at the 
boshes was built here in 1845. The production, in twenty weeks 
during 1S57, was 1,465 tons of hard metal, which was sold in Bos¬ 
ton and Wheeling. This furnace had to be abandoned during the 
Civil War, but after the War was restored as a coke furnace by 
Daniel V. Ahl, of Pennsylvania, and operated until 1878. 

A forge was built in connection with the original furnace and 
operated until the fifties. In 1831 a nail factory with twenty-five 
nail machines and a small rolling mill with two heating furnaces 
and two trains of rolls, were erected and operated until 1853. 

Mr. T. J. C. Williams, in his history of Washington County, 
gives the following detailed description of the plant: 

“The old nail factory at Antietam Iron Works, owned at the time by John 
McPherson Brien, was burned on April 25, 1841. It was rebuilt, increased in 
size, and in operation in two months. These works gave employment in 
1841 to two hundred white laborers and sixty slaves. * * * * The 

head of the fall at these works is about twenty feet. At the time of which 
we are speaking one water-wheel fourteen feet high and eight feet wide 
drove an improved saw-mill, and shingle, stave, and jointing machines. 
The furnace bellows wheel was twenty feet high and four feet wide. The 
furnace blown by this wheel made 40 to 60 tons of metal a week. Another 
water-wheel sixteen feet high, drove nineteen nail and spike machines with 
the necessary cutters to prepare the plates. Between 400 and 500 kegs of 
nails varying in size from two-penny up to seven inch spikes were manu¬ 
factured each week. Another water-wheel twelve feet high worked a pon¬ 
derous chaffery hammer. There was a six-fire forge, with a hammer weigh¬ 
ing twenty-one tons driven by a sixteen-foot wheel. There were also two 
forge bellows wheels seventeen feet high. There was a rolling mill for turn¬ 
ing rolls of various sizes, nail rods, nail plates, and bar iron. This ma¬ 
chinery was driven by an overshot wheel fourteen feet high and twenty feet 
wide. There were also three puddling furnaces and an air furnace. Two 
other wheels, seventeen feet high, drove a merchant grist mill, with four 
run of French burrs. All of these wheels were driven from the same race, 
supported by a strong wall laid in hydraulic cement. Two hundred and 
fifty yards away was the canal basin, where coal, lumber and ore were 
received and the products of the works shipped in boats owned by Mr. 
Brien. * * * The Antietam Works were erected by Wm. M. Brown, and 

were operated by Ross, Bell and Henderson, of Baltimore, until they came 
into the hands of Mr. Brien. In July, 1853, they were sold to William B. 
Clark for $54,500. In 1855 Clark sold a half interest to Levi Easton for 
$35,000. Afterwards the property was sold to Daniel V. Ahl of Pennsylvania." 


146 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Frederick County. 



Catoctin Furnaces .—These furnaces were situated on the Fred¬ 
erick and Emmitsburg turnpike, three and a half miles south of 
Thurmont. In 1770, Leonard Calvert and Thomas Johnson received 
a patent for this tract of seven thousand acres, which in 1774 passed 
into the hands of the brothers, Thomas, Baker, Roger, and James 
Johnson, by whom the first furnace was erected in that year. Alex¬ 
ander, writing about 1840, gives the following account of these 
works, which he obtained from James Johnson, of Baltimore, a 
descendant of the original builders: 

“The original furnace was built in 1774 by James Johnson and 
Company, within a mile of the present furnace stack, and carried 
on successfully until 1787, in which year the same company erected 
the present furnace, about three-quarters of a mile further up Lit¬ 
tle Hunting Creek, and nearer the ore banks. This was operated 
by James Johnson and Company until 1793, when division was 
made among the brothers by lot. Catoctin fell to Thomas and Baker 
Johnson, two-thirds and one-third, respectively, who carried it on 
not very successfully until 1803, when Baker Johnson bought out his 
brother and rented to Benjamin Blackford for ten years at £1100. 
At the expiration of the lease, the property was sold by executors 
to Willoughby and Thomas Mayberry, and was after their dissolu¬ 
tion of j>artnership carried on by Willoughby Mayberry until 1820, 
when it was sold by trustees to John Brien, who made very exten¬ 
sive improvements. It is now [1840] in the possession of the heirs 
of Mr. Brien. The furnace was blown out in November or Decem¬ 
ber last, and is not expected to be in blast again this year.” 

Alexander then adds, “The yield of the old furnace was twelve to 
eighteen tons per week, and that of the present about the same. 
The ore is brown hematite, containing in cavities more or less phos¬ 
phate of iron. It has been represented to me as expensive to raise 
and the quality of the metal not of first grade. In the ore is asso¬ 
ciated carbonate of zinc. 

“Shortly after the erection of the first furnace, the same com¬ 
pany built the Bush Creek forge, consisting of a finery and chaffery, 


/ 


Maryland Geological Survey 


147 


on Busli Creek, two miles above its mouth, and made from three 
to four tons of iron per week. A slitting and rolling mill was also 
erected at what is now called Reel’s Mill, but abandoned after a few 
years. The forge became the property of Colonel James Johnson 
and was operated until 1810. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 
passes on the site of the hammer wheel.” 

The statements that follow are based mainly on information ob¬ 
tained from Mr. L. R. Waesche, of Thurmont, at one time manager 
of the property. The furnace was re-built and soon after came into 
the possession of Peregrine Fitzhugh. The previous operators had 
converted their pig iron into hollow ware, as stoves, etc., but Fitz¬ 
hugh also shipped pig iron to Frederick. In 1S59, he erected a 
steam cold-blast charcoal furnace, but the expense crippled him so 
that John Kunkle obtained the property, which was then operated 
for him by his sons, John B. Kunkle and Jacob M. Kunkle, and 
later came into their possession. The Kunkles abandoned the hol¬ 
low-ware furnace. In 1867, Jacob M. Kunkle sold out his interest 
to his brother. A third furnace, an anthracite and coke furnace, 
with a capacity of thirty-five tons a day, was put up in 1873 by 
John B. Kunkle. In 1876 he took out letters patent in the United 
States for the elimination of phosphorus from pig iron by the use 
of magnesian limestone in the furnace. He also claimed that by 
the use of this agent pig iron could be freed from phosphorus while 
being refined into iron or steel. Ho notable results seemed to have 
followed the granting of this patent, but it shows that he was run¬ 
ning his plant intelligently. The annual output is given at 1200 
tons of pig iron at this period, which was used for car wheels, foun¬ 
dry, and milling purposes. 

John B. Kunkle died in 1885, and his children formed the Ca- 
toctin Iron Company, which shut down and went into the hands 
of receivers in 1887. In 1888, the plant was operated by the re¬ 
ceiver for a year, and then the Catoctin Mountain Iron Company 
was formed which lasted until 1892. A paint mill was erected and 
operated for several years during this time, producing blue, red, 
and yellow ochre from the banks north of the furnace, which are in 
operation at the present time. The output of pig iron was about 


148 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


thirty tons a day. In 1892 the price of iron had so declined, that 
the company was forced to shut down, and in 1899 sold out to the 
Blue Mountain Iron and Steel Company. This Company began 
operations in May, 1900, with an output of about forty tons per 
day, and remained in operation until February, 1903, when it dis¬ 
continued and the property was sold in court in 1905 to Mr. Joseph 
E. Thropp, of Earlston, Pennsylvania. Mr. Thropp completely dis¬ 
mantled the old furnaces and is working only the ore banks for his 
furnaces in Pennsylvania. Figure 2, Plate VIII, is a view of the old 
furnace just before it was torn down in 1905. 

Bishop 1 states that General Thomas Johnson and his brother were 
owners in 1777 of a furnace at Frederick, but it was not then in 
blast. In answer to the Provincial Council, in July, 1777, for can¬ 
non, General Johnson stated that they intended to get in readiness 
to cast such cannon and swivels as were wanted, and if they suc¬ 
ceeded in making good guns, they would deliver them in Baltimore 
for £40 per ton, after they had been proved at the works at public 
expense. At that time they had on hand and could supply of their 
manufacture, pots, kettles, and Dutch ovens. This was undoubtedly 
the Catoctin furnace. 

Hampton Furnace .—Old Hampton furnace was built between 
1760 and 1765 by persons whose names have not survived, on Toms 
Creek, a mile and a half west of Emmitsburg. Ore from the Ca¬ 
toctin banks was at first used before the Catoctin furnace was built. 
It was soon abandoned for want of good ore. 

Fielderia Furnace .—This furnace was built by Fielder Gantt, on 
the Harpers Ferry road, three miles from Frederick, in 1789 to 
1790. It made but one blast, and was then abandoned. The lands 
were divided into wood lots, and sold out in the years 1791 and 
1792, and a grist mill belonging to John Hoffman, of Frederick, 
was built on the furnace site. 

Johnson Furnace .—The Johnson furnace was erected by the own¬ 
ers of the Catoctin furnace in 1787. It was located on the south 
side of Furnace Branch, a tributary of the Monocacy River, about 


i Bishop: Hist, of American Manufactures, 1864, Vol. 1, p. 589. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


140 


a mile and a half northwest of Dickerson. When the property of 
James Johnson and Company was divided in 1793, this furnace fell 
to Roger Johnson, and was operated by him until some years after 
1800. The ore was brought from the banks at Point of Rocks in 
boats on the Potomac and by wagons. The output was from twelve 
to fifteen tons of good grade pig iron per week. 

According to Swank, soon after he obtained the furnace in 1793, 
Roger Johnson erected the Bloomsburg forge on Big Bennetts Creek, 
about five miles above its junction with the Monocacy River. The 
weekly output was four to five tons of finished iron. Alexander 
states, however, that the forge was erected with a finery and chaffery 
between 1787 and 1790, and was carried on profitably a year or 
two by working up “stamp-stuff” from the cinder heaps of the old 
Catoctin furnace. The forge was abandoned between 1800 and 
1805. 

Lonaconing Furnace .—This furnace was built by Barker and 
Company, of Baltimore, at Knoxville, in 1848, but was operated 
for only a short while. In 1868, it was rebuilt by Christian Geiger; 
and, after being run by him for nearly a year, was sold to a Pitts¬ 
burg company which operated it about ten years. 

Carroll County. 

Legli Furnace .—The Legh Furnace was built at Avondale, about 
1765, by an Englishman named Legh Master. It did not make 
more than one or two blasts, “the ore proving unproductive, and the 
iron indifferent,” before it was abandoned. A portion of the old 
stack, which seems to be the part immediately above the cinder notch 
and below the boshes, still marks the site. 

Elba Furnace .—The Elba furnace was erected by James W. 
Tyson, of Sykesville, in 1847, on the north bank of the Patapsco 
River, one hundred and fifty feet east of Warfield Station, on the 
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It was a steam and water charcoal 
furnace 30 feet high and 8*4 feet wide. The stack was built of 
granite and lined with brick, and part of it is still standing. In 


150 


Ieoist Okes of Maeyland 


1855 it made, in thirty-three weeks, 965 tons of car-wheel iron. 
The ore was obtained chiefly from the Springfield Mine, north of 
Sykesville; from near Mt. Airy; and carbonate ore from near Relay. 
In 1868, the flood destroyed the property just after the furnace had 
been blown out, and it was never rebuilt. 

Baltimore County. 

Whittaker s Furnace .—Keyser states that “Whittaker’s furnace 
near the Gunpowder was built in 1810, and was used as a shovel 
factory. It was subsequently purchased by Horace Abbott, who con¬ 
verted it into a forge for making shafts for steamboats.” This plant 
was abandoned before the Civil War. It was located on the west 
bank of the Gunpowder Falls, just below Franklinville, and to the 
north of the bridge which crosses the Falls at that point. 

Gunpowder Furnace .—The south side of the Gunpowder Falls, 
about one hundred yards above the Philadelphia road, was for over 
a century the site of iron enterprises. In 1760 the Long Cam forge 
at this site was owned by members of the Ridgely family. The 
date of erection of this forge is unknown, but it is believed to have 
belonged at first to persons in England. 

Subsequently other forges were erected by the Ridgelys on this 
and other sites. In 1765, they negotiated with a widow Risteau for 
a forge site further up the Falls near the head of the present Loch 
Raven, but it is not known whether or not the land was secured at 
that time, as there was some difficulty with regard to the title to the 
property. As this property was later in the possession of the 
Ridgelys, a forge may have been erected there. Keyser states that 
in the early days, John Ridgely built two furnaces, one known as the 
Nottingham or Whitemarsh Run, which was permanently out of 
blast in 1815, and a second on the Great Gunpowder, which produced 
cannon and swivel in 1776. As no mention is made of any furnace 
other than the Northampton in the old records, it is not probable that 
furnaces were erected at these places, and Keyser has no doubt 
erroneously referred to the forges as furnaces. At the death of Gov¬ 
ernor Ridgely in 1829, the forges on the Gunpowder were still in op- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


151 


eration, and his will bequeaths a half interest in those “forges and 
rolling mills” to David Ridgely. 

The Nottingham works are first referred to in the Maryland 
Gazette of January 4, 1749, and are probably the same as the Not¬ 
tingham furnace mentioned by Keyser. They were located on 
Honeygo Run, a branch of Whitemarsh Run, three hundred yards 
from Cowenton station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, on the 
south side of the road to Chase. A few remnants of the stonework 
are still standing. Reference to these works are extremely scanty and 
indefinite, but there is nothing to indicate the existence of a furnace 
here. A forge on this site in 1749 could have conveniently secured 
pig iron from the two neighboring furnaces of the Principio Com¬ 
pany, the Lancashire and the Kingsbury furnaces. Moreover, the 
ruins do not suggest a furnace, nor do the Ridgely records mention a 
furnace. 

The site of the Gunpowder forge finally passed into the hands of 
Robert Howard, the owner of the Locust Grove furnace, who in 1846 
erected a furnace there wdiich he operated until 1860. It was a hot 
blast charcoal furnace 31 feet high and 8 feet wide at the boshes, 
and in 1856, in thirty weeks produced 1100 tons of foundry and 
forge iron. The ruins of the stack and what w r ere probably the walls 
of the old forge building are still standing. 

Joppa Iron Works .—The Joppa Iron Works were on the Gunpow¬ 
der Falls, on the north side of the present Baltimore and Ohio Rail¬ 
road tracks. They were built in 1820 by J. W. and E. B. Patterson, 
and rebuilt in 1851, when they were owned by Edward Patterson and 
Sons, of Baltimore. They consisted of six puddling and one heat¬ 
ing furnace, two trains of rolls, thirty-seven nail machines, and one 
hammer, driven by water. They constituted one of the most exten¬ 
sive plants in the State at that time, and produced 34,000 kegs of 
nails annually. They remained in successful operation until about 
1860, and the ruins are still standing on both sides of the stream. 

This may also have been the site of the Onion Iron Works. 
Stephen Onion very early severed his connection with the Prin¬ 
cipio Company, and built a furnace and two forges at a locality of 
wdiich no nearer description is given than that it was at the head 


152 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


of the Gunpowder, about one mile from old Joppa. The November 
court records of Baltimore County, 1743, show that he applied 
at that time for tax exemption on the eighty laborers which were 
allowed owners of iron works. Stephen Onion died August 29, 
1754. In 1769, the works belonged to Zacheus Onion, the grand¬ 
son of Stephen Onion, and were advertised for sale in the Mary¬ 
land Gazette for August of that year. After that no mention of them 
was found. 

Northampton Furnace .—This furnace was also known as the 
Hampton furnace, but, according to Alexander, during the first ten 
years of its existence was best known under the name here given. It 
wns built and operated by members of the Ridgely family and the 
following account is based largely on information very kindly fur¬ 
nished by Mrs. John Ridgely of H. from some of the original records 
which are in her possession. The furnace was located on what is now 
Mr. Otho Ridgely’s farm, two miles and a half north of Towson, on 
the Spring Branch of Patterson Run. The site is still marked by the 
crumbled ruins. 

The furnace was erected by Charles Ridgely and his sons, John 
and Captain Charles Ridgely. “On February 28, 1760, a return was 
made of a writ of condemnation which Charles, the Elder, had with 
curious caution sued out and laid to cover a hundred acres of his 
own land.” This writ was applied for 1759 and was for one hun¬ 
dred acres “on the south side of the Main Falls of the Gunpowder 
and on Patterson’s Great Run.” The instrument of copartnership 
of the three proprietors bears the date of October 28, 1761. Besides 
the furnace erected on this site, they also owned the Long Cam forge 
on the Gunpowder Falls, the details in regard to which are given in 
the account of the Gunpowder furnace. From November 30, 1763, to 
April 9, 1764, pig iron and bar iron to the value of £1858. 7s. lOd. 
was shipped to their agent in London. In 1766, they were told not to 
ship more than 20 tons of iron on a ship, as the shipments of tobacco 
from Virginia were unusually heavy. 

In 1765, Captain Charles Ridgely started a general merchandise 
business in Baltimore, and in 1766 took in as partner his nephew, 


Maryland Geological Survey 


Volume ix, Plate ix 



FIG. 1.-BLAST FURNACES, MARYLAND STEEL COMPANY, SPARROWS POINT, BALTIMORE COUNTY. 



Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces 














































Maryland Geological Survey 


153 


William Goodwin. This later became the firm of Ridgely, Howard 
and Lux. The management of the iron works seems finally to have 
devolved wholly upon Captain Ridgely. Consequently in 1771 he 
made Goodwin his agent for handling the output; and, shortly after¬ 
ward, he appointed his cousin, Henry Howard, of Ridgely, Howard 
and Lux, manager of the Northampton furnaces. Captain Ridgely 
finally obtained complete possession of the iron works, and in 1775 
they were being operated by the above mentioned firm. The founder 
at this period was George Teal, who was paid at the rate of 2s per 
ton and charged 6s per week board. The output of one blast, which 
ran from April, 1774, to August, 1775, was 1693 tons of pig iron, 
and that of the following blast, from February 6, 1776, to October 22, 
1776, was 823 tons. During the year October, 1775, to October, 
1776, 2081 tons of ore were mined and hauled to the furnace. A 
list of employees at the furnace in 1786 includes over thirty names. 

Captain Charles Ridgely died in June, 1790, and his property 
was inherited by his nephew, Governor Ridgely, by whom the fur¬ 
nace was run for some years but discontinued and abandoned before 
his death in 1829. 

Locust Grove Furnace .—This furnace, located a quarter mile 
north of Stemmer Run, was built in 1844 by Robert Howard, and 
was 30 feet high and 7 1 /2 feet wide at the boshes. In 1857 it pro¬ 
duced, in thirty weeks, 1277 tons of pig iron. It was managed for 
some time by George R. Burroughs, and in 1865 was bought by him. 
In 1878 it was bought by Levi Furstenburg and S. J. Adler, and 
operated by them until 1885, producing about 1200 tons of car- 
wheel iron annually. When built it was a hot-blast charcoal fur¬ 
nace run by water-power, but it was subsequently changed to a 
steam-blast furnace. 

Lancashire Furnace .—The Lancashire furnace was bought by the 
Principio Company from Dr. Charles Carroll of Annapolis, Septem¬ 
ber 4, 1751. The price paid was £2,675 and the deed was signed 
on behalf of the Company by Lawrence Washington, who had suc¬ 
ceeded to the interest of his father, Capt. Augustine Washington. 
The tract included eight thousand two hundred acres on drafts of 


154 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Back and Middle Rivers and Whitemarsh Run. Dr. Carroll took 
out his writ of condemnation for this furnace in 1744, and it was 
operated by the Principio Company until their property was con¬ 
fiscated during the Revolution. There is no direct statement as to 
the correct location of the furnace, but the November court records 
of Baltimore County for 1754, refer to the Lancashire works on 
North East Creek. Alexander also writes in 1840 that there had 
been a furnace on Stemmer Run. TIence this furnace must have 
been located on the site of the later Locust Grove furnace. 

Kingsbury Furnace . 1 —The Kingsbury furnace, on the east side 
of Herring Run, just below the Philadelphia road, on the site of the 
present power-house, was built by the Principio Company. Major 
Thomas Sheridine took up land in Baltimore County in 1721, and 
from him in 1734 they purchased nearly fourteen hundred acres of 
what were afterward known as the Kingsbury lands, as well as all 
the ore and ironstone on the remaining property of Sheridine, for 
£800. The furnace was built in 1744 and went into blast in April, 
1745. The patent was issued to Sir Nicholas Carew, Bart., Osgood 
Gee and others for one hundred acres of land at the head of Back 
River on Herring Run. At this site, after the furnace had been 
abandoned, General Smith, a celebrated Revolutionary commander 
of the old Maryland line, built a mill. The first four blasts gave 
the following yield: 



Begun. 

Blown Out. 

Duration. 

Product. 

First Blast. 

. . April 1,1745 

Dec. 18,1745 

9 months. 

480 tons. 

Second Blast.... 

. . Aug. 16,1746 

Dec. 1,1747 

16 

1,108 “ 

Third Blast. 

. . Sept. 8,1748 

Oct. 6,1749 

13 

1,055 “ 

Fourth Blast.... 

. . Oct. 1,1750 

Dec. 26,1751 

14 

1,212 “ 




52 

3,853 “ 


This was an average of 75 tons per month. More than 3300 tons 
of the iron were shipped to England. The furnace was probably 
never worked again after confiscation in 1780 by the Maryland 
General Assembly. 


i Henry Whiteley: The Principio Company, Penn. Mag. of Hist., 1887, p. 195-6. 








Maryland Geological Survey 


155 


Ashland Furnaces .—Three anthracite steam and water furnaces 
were erected at Ashland. The first, which was 32 feet high and 11 
feet wide at the boshes, was built by Christian Geiger in 1837, and 
afterwards sold to Philip A. and Samuel Small of York, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, and Joseph W. and Edward Patterson of Baltimore, who 
operated it under the firm name of Patterson, Small & Co. The 
second stack was erected in 1848. The ores were derived mainly 
from the Oregon Ore Banks nearly three miles to the west. During 
the fifties, a consolidation was effected with the Oregon furnace 
owned by Richard Green, and the Ashland Iron Company, incor¬ 
porated with Richard Green as manager, which position he held 
until his death in 1861. A third furnace was erected here in 1864. 
TsTo. 1 furnace is recorded to have made 2,513 tons of pig iron in 
thirty-four weeks in 1854, and No. 2 made 4,215 tons in 1856. The 
furnaces were abandoned early in the eighties. 

Oregon Furnace .—This was an anthracite steam furnace, 36 feet 
high and 11 feet wide at the boshes, and was built in 1849 by 
Richard Green, at the Oregon Ore Banks. He leased ore banks from 
Miss Charlotte C. D. Owings, which adjoined those held by Patter¬ 
son, Small & Co., owners of the Ashland furnaces. Difficulty having 
arisen between the two operators in reference to priority and right 
of ore leases under Miss Owings, which culminated in armed resist¬ 
ance and expensive litigation, a consolidation was agreed upon and 
the Ashland Iron Company incorporated with Richard Green as 
manager. This furnace was run but a few years, as pig iron could 
be made more cheaply at Ashland. In 1855, the output was 4,419 
tons of pig iron. 

Gwynns Falls Furnace .—This furnace, which was the second built 
in Maryland, was erected in 1723 by the Baltimore Company, on the 
land of John Moale, at the mouth of Gwynns Falls. A forge, called 
the Mount Royal forge, was erected at the same time on Jones Falls 
at the site subsequently occupied by General Strieker’s mill, which 
was supposedly in the neighborhood of the present Monument Street. 
This company consisted of Charles Carroll, Esq., Benjamin Tasker, 
Jr., Daniel and Walter Dulany, Charles Carroll, Jr., Esq., of Dud- 


156 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


dington Manor, and Charles Carroll, Barrister. A one-fifth share 
in this enterprise, belonging to the estate of Colonel B. Tasker, was 
sold March 13, 1725, for £5,200. How long this furnace was in 
operation could not be ascertained. 

Maryland Steel Company . 1 —The works of this company, which 
belong to a later period than the numerous smaller furnaces and 
forges described in this report, are situated at Sparrows Point. It 
seems pertinent, therefore, to refer briefly to the causes which led 
to the establishment of this extensive plant near Baltimore. 

Bessemer steel for railroad rails was first made in this country 

V 

at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company at Baldwin (now 
Steelton) near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1867. The pig iron 
for the Bessemer converters being smelted from ores mined in eastern 
Pennsylvania and Hew Jersey. With the development of the 
industry the quantity of domestic, low-phosphorus ores available for 
works east of the Allegheny Mountains became inadequate for the 
rapidly increasing requirements and recourse was had to the Spanish 
and Algerian mines from which many European furnaces drew their 
supplies. 

In 1882 large deposits of low-phosphorous magnetic iron ores were 
discovered in Cuba in which the Pennsylvania Steel Company 
acquired extensive interests. To utilize these ores to the best advan¬ 
tage it was decided to build blast furnaces at a tidewater point 
readily reached by the coals of central Pennsylvania and West 
Virginia. 

Baltimore was chosen, and in 1887 the construction of four blast 
furnaces was begun at Sparrows Point on the north side of the 
Patapsco River, about ten miles from the center of Baltimore City. 
It was at first intended to ship the product of the furnaces to the 
parent works in Pennsylvania for conversion into steel, but with the 
development of methods for the direct use of the molten pig iron, the 
obvious advantage of locating Bessemer works and rolling mills in 
the immediate neighborhood of the blast furnaces, led to the abandon- 

i This account and the photograph of the works (Plate IX, Fig. 1) were 
furnished by the Maryland Steel Company. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


157 


ment of the original plan and to the construction of the steel works 
and rolling mills described below. 

In 1891 the Maryland Steel Company was organized under the 
same ownership as the Pennsylvania Steel Company and took over 
the property and works at Sparrows Point. 

The four blast furnaces are alike in principal dimensions, viz: 85 
feet high and 19 feet bosh diameter. Blast is supplied by compound 
condensing blowing engines located in a common engine house. Each 
furnace is equipped with four fire brick hot blast stoves 90 feet high 
and 22 feet in diameter. Steam is generated by Babcock and Wilcox’s 
water tube boilers, fired with gas from the furnaces. The pig iron 
is carried in a molten condition either to the steel works or to casting 
machines. The output of the furnaces (according to the ores used) 
varies from 9,000 to 10,000 tons each per month. 

The Bessemer department contains two 120-ton molten pig-iron 
reservoirs, seven cupola furnaces for melting pig-iron and spiegel- 
eisen, and three twenty-ton converters. The steel is conveyed by 
travelling cranes from the converters to ingot moulds mounted on 
cars, permitting immediate removal of the hot ingots to the adjacent 
rolling mills. 

The Open Hearth department contains five fifty-ton tilting, open 
hearth furnaces with a full equipment of electric travelling cranes 
and most modern appliances for charging the furnaces and handling 
the steel produced. 

The Blooming mill in which the ingots from the Bessemer and 
the Open Hearth departments receive their first treatment, is 
equipped with vertical gas-fired heating furnaces and 36-inch 
diameter reversing rolls. From the blooming rolls the hot blooms 
pass direct, without reheating, to a threediigh train of 28-inch 
diameter rolls where they are rolled into rails or billets. 

The average monthly output of rails in a period of normal business 
activity, is 35,000 tons. 

Besides the departments described above, the works include a 
by-product coke plant of 200 ovens; docks for reception of ore and 
the shipment of products; foundries, machine shops and a well 


158 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


equipped shipyard for the construction of steel vessels of the largest 
size built in this country. 

Stickney Furnaces .—On the site of the Stickney Iron Company 
furnaces, at the foot of Clinton Street, Canton, the Cecilia furnace 
was built in 1854, and owned by John Ahern. It was a steam hot- 
blast charcoal furnace, 33 feet high and 9 feet wide at the boshes; 
and in forty-three weeks in 1857, made 1,881 tons of pig iron. This 
same furnace was later owned by J. Henry Stickney, 1 and operated 
under the name of the Lazaretto furnace until 1870, when he organ¬ 
ized the Stickney Iron Company, of which Mr. George H. Stickney 
became president in 1874 or 1875, and remained at the head as 
long as the company continued to exist. In 1872, the Cecilia was 
enlarged to 50 feet high, and in 1882 a second furnace was built, 
50 feet high and 11 feet wide, which is supposed to have been the 
largest furnace in the east at that time. The annual output of these 
furnaces was 10,000 tons of pig iron, and they were in continuous 
operation until 1893, when they closed down for a year. In 1895 
one of them was converted into a tin plate mill, but the other was 
operated until 1896, and was the last of the old charcoal furnaces 
around Baltimore to be operated. In 1899, the plant was disposed 
of to the American Tin Plate Company, and in 1901 the property 
was sold to the Baugh Fertilizer Company. 

Chesapeake Furnaces .—These furnaces were on Clinton Street, 
near Seventh Avenue, Canton. They were steam hot-blast charcoal 
furnaces, and No. 1, which was 32 feet high and 8 feet wide at the 
boshes, was built in 1845, and No. 2, a duplicate of the first, was 
built in 1853. The annual output of each furnace was about 2,200 
tons of forge metal, the markets for which were in Massachusetts, 
Philadelphia, Richmond and Wheeling. They were first owned by 
S. S. Lee & Co., and leased by Hugh Jenkins; and later owned by 
William F. Pannell, who was still operating them in 1880, just 
before they were shut down. 

iWhat follows is based on a personal communication from Mr. George H. 
Stickney. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


150 


Baltimore City. 

Cedar Point Furnaces .—These furnaces were built by Peter 
Mowell and a Mr. Uumsen, at Boston and Potomac Streets, and were 
known at first as the Numsen Iron Works. One, built in 1843, was 
d liot-blast charcoal furnace; the other, built in 1845, a coke furnace. 
Their output in 1856 was 2,700 tons and 2,838 tons of car-wheel iron 
respectively. In 1863, they were sold to Horace L. Brooke, and 
discontinued about 1880, when the property was sold to the Phila¬ 
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad for coal docks. 

Patapsco Furnace .—Alexander writes that the Patapsco furnace 
was owned and erected in 1835 by Messrs. E. T. Ellicott & Co., on 
Locust Point, close by the mouth of the harbor. It was 30 feet high 
and 6 feet wide at the boshes. “It was blown with one tuyere with 
a 20 IIP steam engine as motive power. The average product was 
1,000 tons annually. Ore was obtained formerly from beds near 
the furnace, but now [1840] comes from the Spring Gardens. 
Connected with the furnace are puddling furnaces and roughing 
mills which use up all the pig and furnish the bars to be manufac¬ 
tured at the Avalon works.” 

Operations were discontinued in 1849, and the plant was torn 
down in 1853. This must be the furnace referred to by Keyser as the 
first successful blast stove erected in the United States, which made 
the first cast steel in Maryland. “Edward Grubb went to England, and 
in order to get an opportunity to inspect the stove then in use, donned 
a workingman’s clothes and hired as a filler. In this way he suc¬ 
ceeded in getting plans, and upon his return to America had the 
castings made at York, Pennsylvania, intending to erect the ovens 
at, the Codorus furnace; but Mr. Ellicott purchased the castings and 
had them hauled to Baltimore on six mule teams. The furnace made 
a good quality of cast steel in brick ovens.” 

Maryland Furnaces .—The Maryland steam hot-blast charcoal 
furnaces were located at Jackson and West Streets, on the south 
side of the Basin, and were owned by II. William Ellicott and 
brother. Ho. 1, which was 30 feet high and 9 feet wide at the 


160 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


boshes, was built in 1840, and was operated until 1854, in which 
year it produced 2,000 tons of forge metal. No. 2 of the same size 
as No. 1 was built in 1853, and in twenty-nine weeks during 1856 
made 1,058 tons of forge metal. It remained in operation until 
shortly before 1890. The market for its product was chiefly in 
Baltimore. 

Laurel Furnaces .—The Laurel furnaces were steam hot-blast char¬ 
coal furnaces. The first of these, 31 feet high and 9 feet wide at 
the boshes, was built in 1846 by Daniel M. Reese, on the south side 
of the Basin. In 1855, its output was 2,162 tons. The second 
furnace, 33 feet high and 10 feet wide at the boshes, in 1856 made 
2,600 tons of pig iron. This furnace is also referred to as the South 
Baltimore furnace. The furnaces were abandoned during the 
eighties. 


Harford County. 

Rough and Ready Furnaces . 1 —These furnaces were located in 
Havre de Grace, where the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington 
Railroad crosses the Susquehanna River, and were built and owned 
by George P. Whitaker, of Principio, in 1842 and 1843. They 
were two charcoal steam furnaces, 30 feet high and 9 feet wide at 
the boshes; and one of them in 1856, in twenty-one weeks, produced 
1,265 tons of pig iron. Mr. McCombs states that he was one of 
four,—namely, Jethro McCullough, Deleplane M. Daniel, E. M. 
Bye, of Wilmington, and A. P. McCombs,—who bought these fur¬ 
naces from Mr. George P. Whitaker in 1855, and organized the 
Havre Iron Company, with Mr. McCombs as president and manager. 
Brown hematite ores from various points in Maryland and Delaware 
were used, and also some magnetite from the Cornwall Mines at 
Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Previous to the Civil War, he says, lean 
and refractory ores were very cheap, and good charcoal pig sold as 
high as $75.00 per ton. After the war, it fell rapidly in price, 
while the royalties on ore advanced during and for some years after 

i This account is based mainly on a personal communication from Mr. A. P. 
McCombs. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


161 


the war, reaching 500 per cent, above former rates. At the same 
time transportation rates also advanced greatly, so that the furnaces 
had to be discontinued in 1868. 

Harford Furnace. —The Harford furnace was situated at what is 
now known as Harford Furnace, on a branch of Bush River, and 
until 1861 the furnace on this site was known as the Bush furnace 
or the Bush River Iron Works. The date of erection of the original 
furnace is not known. The Bush River Iron Works are mentioned 
in the Maryland Gazette for July 4, 1754, hence their erection ante¬ 
dates that time. In 1767 they were owned and advertised for sale 
in the same paper by John Lee Webster. Bolles (in his Industrial 
History of the United States, p. 203) says that in 1815 experiments 
were made here with a mixture of half anthracite and half charcoal. 

According to Alexander, a later furnace was erected here in 1830 
by the Messrs. Patterson, but was taken down in 1839, to be rebuilt. 
During this time, he says, titaniferous ore was used with good 
success, but required careful management. An analysis of this ore 
by M. Berthier is given below: 

ANALYSIS OF TITANIFEROUS ORE USED AT BUSH FURNACE IN 1830-9. 

Protoxide of iron ) sn 

Peroxide of iron ^. 


Titanic acid. 18 

Gangue . 2 


Another furnace, owned by Richard Green, was built here in 1845. 
It was a steam and water cold-blast charcoal furnace, 33 feet high 
and 7^ feet wide at the boshes, and in 1857 produced 1,421 tons of 
car-wheel metal. On the death of William Green in 1861, William 
F. Pannell became the owner and changed the name from Bush to 
Harford furnace. In the fall of 1867, he sold out to Clement 
Dietrich, of Cincinnati, who erected in addition a large factory to 
make pyroligneous acid. He lost heavily and shut down in 1876. 
A few slag covered bricks mark the site of the furnace stack, and 
the stone walls of the factory are still standing. 

LaGrange Furnace .—A forge and slitting mill, known as the 
LaGrange Iron Works, was erected in 1832 by John Withers, on 





162 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Deer Creek, just above Rocks. In 1836, a cold-blast water-power 
charcoal furnace, 28 feet high and 6 feet wide at the boshes, was 
added by Messrs. J. Rogers & Son, who were then the owners of the 
works. The annual yield at that time was about 1,170 tons, and at 
the furnace and forge seventy-two men were employed. Later the 
height of the stack was increased to 35 feet, and the blast changed 
to hot-blast. The weekly output was from 25 to 30 tons, but as the 
furnace was operated only six months a year, the annual output 
was about 780 tons. The pig iron was sold to Ross Winans in 
Baltimore for car-wheel iron. In 1874, the works were discontinued. 

Sarah Furnace .—The Sarah furnace was built in 1841, and rebuilt 
in 1851 by Small & Geiger, of York, Pennsylvania, on the north 
bank of West Branch, two miles southwest of Jarrettsville. It was 
a steam and water, hot-blast charcoal furnace, 31 feet high and 6^2 
feet wide at the boshes, and in 1856 made 971 tons of pig iron. 
About 1870 the operations were discontinued. 


Cecil County. 

Principle) Furnace .—The account of the Principio Company is 
based almost entirely on a very full description of the operations of 
that company by Mr. Henry Whitely in the Pennsylvania Maga¬ 
zine of History, 1887. 

Those most prominently connected with the company were Sir 
Nicholas Hackell Carew, Bart, of Beddington County, Surrey; 
Thomas Russell, of Birmingham, and his sons, William and Thomas 
Russell; Stephen Onion; John England; Joshua, Samuel and Os¬ 
good Gee; William Chetwynd, Esq., of England; and Augustine and 
Lawrence Washington, of Virginia. 

Stephen Onion and Thomas Russell, Sr., if not the originators, 
were the most active promoters of the enterprise. They came to 
America, and, after careful prospecting, leased and opened ore 
banks, purchased woodland for making charcoal, built the Principio 
and North East works, the former consisting of a furnace and forge, 
the latter of a forge alone, arranged for the disposal of their bar 


Maryland Geological Survey 


163 


and surplus pig iron, and in sliort, established the business on a 
successful footing. 

Extensive land grants were obtained by the company in 1722, in 
addition to their original purchases. Among the writs ad quod 
damnum granted out of the Provincial Chancery of Maryland, in 
pursuance of the Act of 1719 for the encouragement of iron manu¬ 
factures, was. one issued October 19, 1721, for twenty acres of land 
in Cecil County, for a grist mill which, as the books show, was car¬ 
ried on by the company with their furnace operations. 

Russell and Onion having opened the business, left it in charge 
of John England, a practical iron-master, who was to act as their 
representative in America, and sailed together for Great Britain in 
1724. Onion soon returned, and in 1726 was in active charge at 
Principio. 

Ore for the furnace was at first obtained in the immediate neigh¬ 
borhood of the works, but before long they were compelled to bring 
it from more extensive deposits. Chief among these, were banks 
on the Patapsco River, first discovered by Captain John Smith in 
1608. In 1724 they acquired rights to the ore on Gorsuch Point 
for the sum of three pistoles. In 1727, through John England, 
they purchased from John Giles, all the ore “opened and discovered 
or shut and not yet discovered” for the sum of £300 sterling money 
of England, and £20 current money of Maryland on Whetstone 
Point. This was for years one of their principal sources of ore. 

From the ledger of the Principio Company for 1727 the follow¬ 
ing figures are taken: 

ACCOUNT OF PIGS AT FURNACE, AUGUST, 1727. 


£ 

Iron ore, 90 tons, at 15s. 67 10 0 

Charcoal, 90 loads (say 11,880 bu.), at 18s. 81 0 0 

Oyster shells and limestone. 5 0 0 

Wages, John Barker, founder, 40 tons, at 2 /6. 5 0 0 

Other labor, 40 tons, at 5 /6. 11 0 0 

Disbursements . 2 0 0 

Total production, 40 tons pig iron, at cost ot. 171 10 0 


This is equivalent to £4 5s 9d per ton of pig iron. This pig sold 
at the furnace for £10 per ton. Blooms were valued at £25 and 









164 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


bar iron at an average price of £35 per ton, but tlie books do not 
show the actual cost of either. 

In 1754 prices had fallen considerably. Bar iron then cost £21 
10s, and was worth from £28 to £30; blooms were £18 and pig 
iron £8. 

The following statement is from the ledger of North East forge 
for 1754: 


COST OF 2,240 LBS. OF BAR IRON. 

£ s. d. 
11 8 7 

1 10 0 
8 8 

10 0 
2 17 0 

4 5 0 

Total cost. 21 10 0 

The Principio and North East works continued in full blast until 
the Revolution. 

In 1725 the company started Accokeek furnace in Virginia, on 
land of Captain Augustine Washington, who became interested in 
the company. In 1743, at his death, he left his share, one-twelfth, 
to his son, Lawrence. Lawrence died in 1751, and about the same 
time the ore failed, and the furnace was abandoned. The company 
acquired two other furnaces in Baltimore County. The Kingsbury 
furnace on Herring Run, and the Lancashire furnace on Stemmer 
Run. 

Thomas Russell left his interests to his sons, William and Thomas 
Russell. The latter, at the age of twenty-three, was selected by the 
partners as managing director and given £100 per month, on con¬ 
dition he go to America for at least two years. lie set sail in the 
spring of 1764. The necessary independence of the managers in 
America gave great opportunity for fraud and mismanagement, and 
it was to correct the abuses which had crept into the management 
that Russell was sent over. 

The product of 1765 turned out rank red-short, and being sold 
in England destroyed their old established reputation. Careless¬ 
ness in drawing bar-iron by William Baxter, at North East, added 


Pig iron, 3,200 lbs., at 8. 

Charcoal, 480 bus., at 9s. per load of 144 bu. 

Forgemen’s wages (white, 20s.; slave, Is.), average 

Hammermen’s wages. 

Provision account (for slaves). 

General charges, etc. 









Maryland Geological Survey 


Volume ix, Plate x 




Views or Maryland Iron Furnaces 































' 





























Maryland Geoi.ogical Survey 


165 


to their troubles. Owing to its irregularity, the Navy Department 
rejected a large lot. In May, 1767, the company wrote to Russell, 
“American bar iron here is a mere drug and not worth the com¬ 
pany’s while engaging in it; there is no market for it, as no one 
cares to purchase it even at £16 per ton.” At the same time drafts 
for funds were heavy and incessant. Agriculture had been neg¬ 
lected to such an extent that wheat and corn had to be purchased. 
Trespassers had come in and squatted on some of the choicest lands. 
The contrast with their former prosperity was marked. 

Seconded by the efforts of Francis Phillips, whom he had made 
manager at Kingsbury, things soon took on better shape. A new 
bank of ore was leased and opened. The pig proved to be of ex¬ 
cellent quality. “As good,” they said in London, “as ever our best 
Principio was.” Having everything in shape again he sailed for 
England in June, 1767. The management was left in the hands of 
Francis Phillips and William Baxter jointly, the former in charge 
of Kingsbury and Lancashire, the latter Principio and North East 
forge. Each was required to submit his accounts to semi-annual in¬ 
spection by the other. At the end of the year, Phillips died and 
things went back to their former shape, and in 1770, Nathaniel 
Martin was temporarily put in charge until Russell could be in¬ 
duced to return. He set sail in 1771. 

This time Russell’s efforts were not as satisfactory to the com¬ 
pany. In nine months he drew drafts almost to £1200. This was 
not all Russell’s fault, as conditions were no longer as favorable as 
formerly. Operating costs had increased, and prices of products 
had fallen. In 1774, shortly after his marriage to a Maryland 
lady, the company attempted to supersede him in the management. 
Martin had left the company, and w T as suceeded by George Mat¬ 
thews at Kingsbury and Lancashire, and Philip Cole at North East 
and Principio. To them a joint arrangement was proposed as 
before. To this Matthews raised objection, and Cole’s ability was 
doubted, so it did not materialize. After the outbreak of the Revo¬ 
lution the company no longer had control of its property, and Rus¬ 
sell furnished bar iron and cannon balls to the Americans. In 1780 
the Maryland General Assembly passed an act confiscating the prop- 


166 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


erty. Russell received in place of liis interest the North East works 
and land. 

In 1785 several thousand acres of the Principio lands were pur¬ 
chased from the State by Colonel Sam. Hughes, Edwin Cole, Rich¬ 
ard Potts, and others. Soon after a blast furnace was erected a 
few hundred yards south of the original site. In 1790 Colonel 
Sam. Hughes bought out the other partners. During Hughes’ own¬ 
ership, the furnace seems to have been engaged in the manufac¬ 
ture of cannon, cannon balls, hollow ware, etc. In the War of 1812, 
Cockburn came up Principio Creek in barges, and destroyed the 
property, spiking the cannon that were on hand. Soon after the 
close of the War, Colonel Hughes partially restored the plant, but 
being financially wrecked, he abandoned the property in two or three 
years with a heavy mortgage on it in favor of Messrs. Smith and 
Gilmore, of Baltimore. Under this mortgage, it was sold in 1834 
to David Stewart and others of Baltimore, who held it until June, 
1836, when it was purchased by George P. Whitaker, Thomas Gar¬ 
rett, Joseph Whitaker, and others. They at once erected a new 
furnace which was put in blast in 1837. This was a hot-blast char¬ 
coal furnace, 32 feet high and 8% feet wide at the boshes; and in 
1856, produced in thirty-seven weeks, 800 tons of pig iron. This 
furnace was operated by the Whitaker Iron Company until 1889, 
and the old stack is still standing at Principio furnace. A view of 
this stack is shown in Figure 2, Plate IX. In 1891 a modern blast 
furnace was erected less than one hundred yards further down the 
stream which remained in blast less than a year, and in 1908 was 
dismantled and erected elsewhere. In 1884, a forge was erected 
by the Whitaker Iron Company for making blooms. This was 
leased in 1890 to the Principio Forge Company, which supplied 
charcoal blooms to the Tyler Tube and Pipe Company, and in 
1908 the plant was taken over by this company. The blooms are 
now made from scrap. 

The site of the old North East forge of the Principio Company 
again became the seat of an iron manufacturer in 1829. In the 
spring of that year, the property was leased from Mrs. Frances 
Sewall by James and George P. Whitaker. G. P. Whitaker took 


Maryland Geological Survey 


167 


charge and got a three-fire forge, with two hammers, into operation 
late in the fall of 1829 or early in 1830. About 1832, James Whit¬ 
aker sold his interest to Joseph Whitaker and Thomas Garrett, 
who, with G. P. Whitaker, carried on the works until 1837, when 
they were sold out to William Chandler and James Whitaker, Jr., 
from whom they passed to Isaac Smith and Henry Hail, and thence 
to the McCullough Iron Company. 

In 1847 the McCullough Iron Company erected on this same site 
the North East Rolling Mill, which burned down and was rebuilt 
in that same year. It consisted of one puddling and one heating 
furnace, and one train of rolls driven by water; and made, in 1856, 
339 tons of sheet iron out of charcoal blooms and pig. During the 
Civil War, the plant was increased to nine puddling furnaces, three 
heating furnaces, two sets of sheet rolls, and eighteen forge fires. 
In 1875 it was again rebuilt and remained in operation until 1893. 
The site is now occupied by the North East Firebrick Company, 
and is on the west side of Northeast Creek, south of the Pennsyl¬ 
vania Railroad tracks. 

A bloomery at North East, which was probably the pioneer iron 
enterprise in the State, was erected before 1716. That iron works 
were built at North East prior to 1716, is proved by a deed dated 
that year in which Robert Dutton conveyed a flour mill near the bot¬ 
tom of the main falls of North East, and also fifty acres of land to 
Richard Bennett for £100 in silver money. Iron works are men¬ 
tioned as among the appurtenances conveyed. Swank says this could 
only have been a bloomery, as no furnace was then in existence 
which could have supplied pig iron to a forge. An inventory of 
the Principio Company for May, 1723, credits the company with 
the purchase on July 9, 1722, of three hundred and eighty-three 
acres of land “in Lord Baltimore’s Manor of North East, called 
Vulcan’s Tryal, Vulcan’s Enlargement, and Diffidence.” This may 
have embraced the North East iron works upon which site the com¬ 
pany then erected its forge. 

Russell Furnace .—On North East Creek, a quarter mile north of 
the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, Thomas Russell, then twenty-one 


168 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


years of age, and Daniel Sheridine, liis father-in-law, built a fur¬ 
nace in 1802. Thomas Russell was the third of that name, and 
was the son of Thomas Russell, the general manager of the Prin- 
cipio Company at the time of the Revolution, who died in 1786. 
On the death of young Russell in 1806, the furnace was discon¬ 
tinued, as it had not been profitable. 

On this same site, the McCullough Iron Company erected the 
Shannon Rolling Mill in 1857, consisting of one heating furnace 
and one train of sheet rolls driven by water power, which made 
sheet iron out of bars obtained from the North East Rolling Mill 
owned by the same company. This plant was shut down shortly 
before the other mill in 1893. 


Howard County. 

Elkridge Furnace .—The Elkridge furnace was situated on the 
Patapsco River, a half mile east of Elkridge Station. The site is 
still marked by the ruins of the stack, a photograph of which is 
shown on Plate X, Figure 1. On November 3, 1755, Caleb Dor¬ 
sey, Alexander Lawson, and Edward Dorsey, of Annapolis, were 
granted a patent on one hundred acres at Elkridge, on a run of the 
Patapsco, near C. Dorsey’s house. They paid £300 damages in 
currency. A furnace and forge were erected here which were in 
operation before 1759. 

At Elkridge Landing, a Dr. Howard owned a tilting forge in 
1783, which was probably on the same site as this furnace. 

In 1826 Andrew Ellicott, Jr., and brothers, erected a furnace on 
this same site, 32 feet high and S 1 /^ feet wide, with the blast driven 
by water-power from the Patapsco, and a forge was still run in 
connection with the furnace. The annual output was 1400 tons 
of pig iron, which was almost entirely produced in castings of vari¬ 
ous kinds, principally water and gas pipes. One hundred hands 
were employed at that time. In 1835 they made cast-iron water 
pipes for the Croton Water Works of New York. 

This furnace was rebuilt in 1854, and operated by the Great 
Falls Iron Company. It was a steam and water hot-blast char- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


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Views of Maryland Iron Furnaces 

























Maryland Geological Survey 


160 


coal furnace, 32 feet high and 9^ feet wide at the boshes; and in 
thirty weeks in 1857, made 1564 tons of forge iron for Baltimore, 
Wheeling, and the Avalon Works above Relay. During the Civil 
War, it was leased by Brooks and Moore. After the War, it was 
run by James P. Ellicott, and later by Howard Brown until 1872, 
when it was finally abandoned. 

Savage Furnaces .—The Savage furnaces were on the north bank 
of the Little Patuxent River, at Savage, to the west of the present 
cotton-duck mill. Two furnaces were erected here about 1835 by 
the Savage Manufacturing Company, but a foundry had been in 
operation on the site for some time before. They were run but a 
short time, as Lesley says they had been out of blast for twenty 
years in 1859, and that a cupola furnace there was never used, and 
was then in dilapidated condition. 

A furnace and foundry was again operated from 1864 to 1866, 
by John Burroughs, and after that until 1874 by Thomas Fairall, 
when the works were abandoned. The foundry made a specialty 
of all kinds of machinery. 

Anne Arundel County. 

Curtis Creek Furnace .—The Curtis Creek furnace (Plate XI, 
Figure 1), also known as the Marley furnace, was located on the 
south side of Furnace Creek, a branch of Curtis Creek, a half mile 
east of Light street road. The ruins of the stack still mark the site. 
In 1758 Caleb and Edward Dorsey, and Alexander Lawson, ap¬ 
plied for a writ ad quod damnum for one hundred acres for a fur¬ 
nace to run pig iron on a branch called Long Bridge Branch, 
near the head of Curtis Creek. The writ was granted in 1759. 
On August 23, 1773, Samuel Dorsey, Jr., Charles Ridgely, 
Michael Poe, William Goodwin, and William Buchanan, the 
co-partners of the Northampton furnace, in the adjustment of 
their affairs, sold the works to a Mr. Barker, who operated them as 
the Curtis Creek Iron Works. As late as 1840 they were being 
operated by J. Barker and Son. The furnace was 30 feet high 
and 9!/2 feet wide at the boshes. The blast which was 900 cubic 


170 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


feet per minute, and blown through one tuyere pipe, was driven by 
the water of the creek which also turned three other wheels con¬ 
nected with the establishment. The dam was one mile to the south¬ 
west, and the old race can still be traced from the mill pond across 
Light Street road to the furnace. The iron was known for its 
toughness and tenacity. A foundry was erected here in 1S29 by 
the Barkers, and this and their foundry in Baltimore converted 
into castings two-thirds of the annual output of 1100 tons of pig 
iron. The entire establishment employed one hundred and fifty 
men. The plant was last operated by Wilkens Glenn, of Baltimore, 
and abandoned in 1851. 

Patuxent Furnaces .—The Patuxent furnaces were built on the 
site of the still older Snowdens’ Iron Works, on the north side of 
the Little Patuxent Piver, at the Old Forge Bridge, a mile south 
of Portland Station. The date of erection of the original furnace, 
which seems to have been a puddling furnace, is not known, but 
Swank says that John England, one of the members of the Princi- 
pio Company, spent the last years of his life on his estate, and at 
Snowdens’ Iron Works on the Patuxent River, in which he had an 
interest. lie died in 1731, hence the works were erected some time 
before that date. 

In 1831, they consisted of a furnace and forge, and were sold 
by Thomas, Richard and Edward Snowden to Evan T. Ellicott and 
Company, who erected another furnace, 28 feet high and 8 feet 
wide at the boshes, and a puddling furnace and roughing mills for 
converting pig iron into bars for the Avalon works above Relay. 
These furnaces were.water-power, and the blast was blown at a pres¬ 
sure of l!4 lbs. per square inch, which is said to have been the 
usual blast at that time. The blast was later changed to a steam 
hot-blast. There was never more than one furnace in blast at once, 
and the annual output was about 1200 tons. On account of lack of 
wood and ore, the plant was dismantled and destroyed in June, 
1856, at which time it was owned by William Wilkins Glenn, John 
Glenn, Jr., and Robert Lemmon. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


171 


Figure 1 is a photograph of an old fire-back made at this furnace 
in 1738. 



Prince George's County. 

Muirhirh Furnace .—The original Muirkirk furnace, a steam hot- 
blast charcoal furnace, 28 feet high and 8^ feet wide at the boshes, 
was built at Muirkirk in 1847, by William and Elias Ellicott, own¬ 
ers at that time of the Patuxent furnace in Anne Arundel County. 
In 1855 it was bought by William E. Coffin and Company, and 
leased out by them until 1862, when they took charge themselves. 
In 1863, the furnace was taken over by George R. Burroughs and 
Mr. Charles E. Coffin, at which time the weekly output was 33 
tons of pig iron. A year later Burroughs sold out to Mr. Coffin, 
who became sole owner and operated the furnace until two years 
ago when he leased it to E. F. Coffin and Company whose lease 
expired April, 1911. 





172 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Mr. Coffin said that by improvement in manipulation, he in¬ 
creased the weekly output to from 120 to 140 tons, without chang¬ 
ing the size of the furnace stack. It remained in constant opera¬ 
tion until 1874, since when it has been operated just enough to 
supply the demand for the high grade of charcoal iron made here. 
In 1880, an explosion in the furnace burned down the plant, and 
in rebuilding, the height of the stack was increased to thirty-six feet. 

The iron manufactured at this furnace possesses a remarkably 
high tensile strength, it having stood 41,000 pounds in the pig. 
For this reason, it commands an unusually high price, which has 
enabled this furnace to survive as the only one in the State now 
using Maryland ores. Mr. Coffin twice experimented with other 
ores,—once with hematite ores from Lake Superior, and once with 
limonite ores from Virginia,—but the iron was not as good as that 
produced from the Arundel carbonate ores of Maryland. A large 
part of the output was used by the United States Government, for 
the manufacture of shells, until in the eighties, when cast iron shells 
were no longer made. Another use has been for gun carriages and 
steel cylinders for torpedo boats. A considerable part of the out¬ 
put has always been used for the manufacture of car-wheels. 

A view of the furnace is shown on Plate X, Figure 2. 


Worcester County. 

Nassaivango Furnace .—The Xassawango furnace was built in 
1830 by Mark Richards on the west side of Xassawango Creek, five 
miles northwest of Snow Hill, at a point known as Furnace. The 
old stack and the remains of some of the buildings are still stand¬ 
ing. A view of the stack is shown, on Figure 2, Plate XI. This 
furnace used exclusively bog ores obtained along Xassawango Creek 
above the furnace, and was the only one ever erected in the State 
to utilize these ores. Its annual production in the thirties was about 
700 tons. In 1840 it was owned by T. A. Spence, and was operated 
by him until about 1850. This tract is now owned by United 
States Senator John Walter Smith and Mr. William Jackson, of 
Salisbury. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


173 


There is one other furnace, the York furnace, mentioned by 
Alexander, the location of which is unknown. He says, “where to 
locate the York furnace belonging to Mr. Swope, an advertisement 
concerning which I have met with in the Maryland Gazette for 
1765, I am ignorant, the advertisement not defining the locality 
precisely.” 


OTHER IRON WORKS IN MARYLAND. 

To attempt to give a full account of the iron works which have 
existed in Maryland, other than the furnaces, would carry this re¬ 
port too far afield. Nevertheless, it might be of interest to men¬ 
tion some of the more important enterprises that have existed, since 
it was to them in large measure, that the product of our furnaces 
went to be finished into the articles of industry. A number of these 
iron works were run in connection with the furnaces, and these have 
already been described in the accounts of those furnaces. The fol¬ 
lowing section describes briefly some of those not yet mentioned. 

Allegany County. 

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Rail Mill .—The Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad built a rail mill in IS70 at Cumberland, with fifteen double 
puddling furnaces, fifteen heating furnaces, three trains of rolls, 
and three hammers; and in 1873, a bar mill for making bar iron, 
bolts, rivets, spikes, and fish plates. The capacity of the two mills 
was 40,000 tons. The manufacture of rails was abandoned in 1882, 
and the mill leased to the Cambria Iron Company for rolling steel 
billets. 


Baltimore County. 

Avalon Iron Works .—The Avalon Iron Works, on the Patapsco 
River, at Avalon, above Relay, were built in 1800 by the Dorseys, 
and afterward operated by Evan T. Ellicott and Company until 
1850. Until 1840 they were devoted exclusively to the manufac- 


174 


Iron Oees of Maryland 


ture of bar iron and had a capacity of 4500 tons annually. Sub¬ 
sequently the plant was extended and all kinds of merchant iron 
such as sheets, hoops, and nails, were manufactured. A rolling mill 
for rails was also added, and in 1848 rails were made for the Bal¬ 
timore and Ohio Railroad. The old nail factory burned down in 
1845, and was rebuilt in 1850, when the plant was sold to John 
McCrone and Company. In 1854 the works were pulled down and 
rebuilt, consisting of seven puddling furnaces, three heating fur¬ 
naces, three trains of rolls, and forty-four nail machines, driven by 
steam. In 1856, 40,000 kegs of nails were made. The owners in 
1859 were Joseph C. Manning and Company, of Baltimore. A 
cloudburst in July, 186S, caused a disastrous flood in the valley of 
the Patapsco which swept away the mills and dams and they were 
never rebuilt. 

Canton Rolling Mill .—The Canton forge, a quarter of a mile 
above Cedar Point furnace, was operated in 1S28 by Peter Cooper. 
In 1836 it was bought by Horace Abbott, who with a partner 
named Lawrence, made a reputation for heavy forgings for steam¬ 
boat work and large machinery. In 1851, H. Abbott and Son 
added a rolling mill which they enlarged in 1854 to ten furnaces, 
three trains of rolls, and one hammer driven by steam. In 1856, 
they made about 2,000 tons of plate out of pig iron and blooms. A 
second mill with six furnaces, two trains of rolls and a Masmyth 
hammer was added in 1857. Part of the armor plate for the Moni¬ 
tor was made here. The Abbott Iron Company was organized in 
1865 and continued until 1879. 

Cecil County. 

Elk Rolling Mill .—The Elk Polling Mill was built about 1810, 
on the East side of Big Elk Creek, a half mile northwest of Cowen- 
town, on the site on which John Evans had copper works at the time 
of the Revolution. It was remodeled in 1825 or 1830 by Parke 
Brothers, so that it contained one puddling and two heating fur¬ 
naces, and one train of rolls driven by water; and produced sheet 
iron, boiler plates, and nails. In later years its chief product was 


Maryland Geological Suevey 


175 


sheet iron, and in 1855 made abont 450 tons. In 1858, Parke, 
Smith and Company succeeded to the business, but were forced to 
close on account of competition in 1860. 

Elk Forge Company .—The Elk Eorge was built on the east side 
of Big Elk Creek, where the Elk Mills cotton factory now stands, 
east of Baldwin, in 1761, by the Elk Eorge Company. This com¬ 
pany was organized by John Roberts, David Davis, Thomas May, 
and David Thomas, of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, who 
formed a partnership to manufacture bar iron. Six hundred acres 
were obtained on Big Elk Creek from William Rumsey, called 
Rumsey’s Success. The pig iron was brought from Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania. 

West Anwell Iron Works .—The West An well Iron Works were 
on the east side of Big Elk Creek, two miles above Elkton, and were 
built in 1854 by E. A. Harvey, of Wilmington, Delaware, and en¬ 
larged in 1857, so that they consisted of one puddling, and four 
heating furnaces and one train of rolls driven by water. In 1856 
the output was 337 tons of sheet iron. These works later passed 
into the hands of the McCullough Iron Company and were operated 
by them until about 1890. 

Octoraro Rolling Mill .—The Octoraro Rolling Mill was built 
in 1828 at Rowlandsville, formerly Romansville, at the mouth of 
Octoraro Creek by a Mr. Roman, and was later acquired by the Mc¬ 
Cullough Iron Company. It consisted of one puddling and one 
heating furnace, and one train of rolls driven by water power, and 
in 1856 made 262 tons of sheet iron. It was operated as late as 
1893. 

Octoraro Forge. — In 1788 John Churchman, of Nottingham, 
formed a partnership with Samuel Hughes, of Harford County, for 
the purpose of erecting a furnace and such other works as they 
might think necessary for the manufacture of iron, upon a tract 
of land containing three thousand acres owned by Churchman in 
Cecil County, Maryland, and Chester and Lancaster counties, 
Pennsylvania. The tract was to be selected by Hughes, and it was 


176 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


stipulated in the agreement that it was to embrace Horse Shoe 
Bend in Octoraro Creek, near the junction of the three counties. 
Hughes was to furnish the capital, and Churchman to be resident 
manager, and the profits were to be shared equally. Nothing is known 
regarding the early history of these works, but the land records 
show that the forge was just below Horse Shoe Bend, where the 
Cecil paper mill was afterward built, and was erected before 1795, 
at which time it was in possession of John Jones and Thomas 
Rogers. It was purchased in 1801 by John Frey and Mathew 
Irwin and known for some time as Frey’s forge. 

In 1840, Alexander speaks of a forge in this locality belonging 
to the heirs of Mr. James Hopkins, and that there was also said 
to be a furnace stack there, but not in blast. This was later owned 
by Parke and Son, of Rising Sun, and consisted then of one forge 
and one hammer driven by water, and made annually 200 tons of 
blooms. In 1880, it was owned by the McCullough Iron Company 
and operated by them until 1893. 

Queen Anne's County. 

Unicorn Forge .—In 1761, Benjamin Jacobs applied for a writ 
ad quod damnum for one hundred acres on Unicorn Creek for a 
forge mill, which was granted in 1762. In that year, at a place 
called Nasby or Maysbury, Robert Evans, Jonathan Morris, and 
Benjamin Jacobs built a forge, the castings for which were made 
at the Bush River furnace. This was not long in existence. 

Caroline County. 

Fedcralsburg Bloomery .—Swank states that a bloomery which 
used bog ore once stood near Federalsburg, but was abandoned long 
ago. According to Mr. W. E. Lyden, this was on Marshyhope Creek, 
a mile south of Smithville, and the ore was obtained from the creek 
near the site of the bloomery. This dates back at least to 1800, 
and even earlier, and no further details are known. 

On the east side of Marshyhope Creek, just above Federalsburg, 
at the site of the electric power plant dams, John Elliott erected a 


p 



77°00' 


rs*oo' 


78*00' 


6reen,Sp* 


\S'iI burns port 


Sharpsbl 


j a '£*iri*tys4'^e 

u y 


Harpers F< 


MAP 


MARYLAND 

SHOWING 

DISTRIBUTION OF IRON ORES 


s caxt: 

1:1,250,000. 20“Mile s — 1 Inch. 


WM. BULLOCK CLARK, STATE GEOLOGIST 


LEGEND 


Helderberg-Oriskany Llmonites. j 

Marcelius-Oriskany Limonites.. r> 

Cambro-Ordovician Limonites . ■ 

Limonites of Carroll and Frederick counties.... a 


Carbonates of the Appalachians 

Coastal Plain Carbonates . 

Magnetites in the Loudon formation 
Magnetites in the Piedmont Schists 
Magnetites in the Serpentines. . 

Red Haematites of the Appalachians 


Limonites of Baltimore and Harford counties 
Bog Iron Ores . 


Specular Haematite of the Piedmont 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XII 









































































































Maryland Geological Survey 


177 


forge in 1840 which he operated for a short time only. Bog ore 
from the neighborhood was used, and the iron produced from it was 
found to be too brittle. 


CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF MARYLAND FURNACES. 


Name of Furnace. 

County. 

Erected. 

Abandoned. 

Principio . 

.. Cecil . 

1722 


1891 

Gwynn’s Falls. 

. . Baltimore . 

1723 


? 

Patuxent . 

.. Anne Arundel.... 

Before 1734 


1856 

Onion (Joppa Works). 

.. Baltimore . 

About 1743 

After 

1769 

Kingsbury . 

. . Baltimore . 

1744 


1780 

Lancashire . 

. . Baltimore . 

1744 


1780 

Harford (Bush River)... . 

Harford . 

Before 1754 


1876 

Elkridge . 

.. Howard . 

1756 


1872 

Curtis Creek. 

Anne Arundel... . 

1759 


1851 

Northampton . 

Baltimore . 

1760 


1850 

Hampton . 

.. Frederick . 

1760 

About 

1770 

Antietam. 

.. Washington . 

1765 


1878 

Legh. 

. . Carroll . 

1765 

About 

1767 

First Green Spring. 

Washington . 

1770 


1775 

Rock Forge. 

. . Washington. 

1770 


1795 

Catoctin . 

. . Frederick . 

1774 


1903 

Johnson . 

. . Frederick . 

1787 

About 

1805 

Fielderia . 

. . Frederick . 

1789 


1790 

Russell . 

.. Cecil . 

1802 


1806 

Mt. Etna. 

.. Washington. 

1809 

About 

1818 

Whittaker’s . 

. . Baltimore .. 

1810 


1860 

Friendsville . 

. Garrett. 

1828 


1834 

Nassawango . 

.. Worcester . 

1830 


1850 

Savage . 

.. Howard . 

1835 


1874 

Patapsco . 

.. Baltimore . 

1835 


1849 

LaGrange . 

. . Harford . 

1836 


1874 

Ashland ... . . 

. . Baltimore . 

1837 


1880 

Lonaconing . 

. . Allegany . 

1837 


1855 

Maryland . 

. . Baltimore . 

1840 

About 

1888 

Mt. Savage. 

. . Allegany . 

1840 


1865 

Sarah . 

• • Harford . 

1841 


1870 

Rough and Ready. 

Harford . 

1842 


1868 

Cedar Point. 

Baltimore . 

1843 

About 

1880 

Locust Grove. 

.. Baltimore . 

1844 


1885 

Chesapeake . 

.. Baltimore . 

1845 

About 

1882 

Laurel . 

.. Baltimore City... 

1846 

About 

1885 

T.fina. 

Allegany .. 

1846 


1867 

Gunpowder. 

.. Baltimore . 

1846 


1860 

Muirkirk. 

.. Prince George’s.. 

1847 


• • • • 

Elba . 

. . Carroll . 

1847 


1868 

Lonaconing . 

.. Frederick . 

1848 

About 

1880 

Second Green Spring. 

.. Washington . 

1848 


1873 

Oregon . 

. . Baltimore . 

1848 


1856 

Stickney . 

.. Baltimore . 

1854 


1896 

Mariah . 

.. Washington . 

•? 


1880 

Bowery . 

.. Allegany . 

1868 


1875 

Sparrows Point..... 

. . Baltimore . 

1889 


.... 




























































































178 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


In the preparation of the historical section of this report infor¬ 
mation has been assembled from many sources. Histories of Mary¬ 
land and of the various counties, old newspapers, trade journals, 
and general works on American industries, and the Census Reports 
were gone over. Many personal communications have also been ob¬ 
tained. In short, a scrap of information was gathered here, and 
a scrap there. To attempt to enumerate all of these sources would 
be useless. There are, however, four works which have furnished 
many of the data, and for that reason they are cited below. 

J. IT. Alexander: Report on the Manufacture of Iron addressed 
to the Governor of Maryland. Printed by order of the Senate, An¬ 
napolis, 1840. 

J. P. Lesley: The Iron Manufacturer’s Guide to the Furnaces, 
Forges and Rolling Mills of the United States. Hew York, 1859. 

J. M. Swank: History of the Manufacture of Iron in all Ages. 
Second Edition, Philadelphia, 1892. 

W. Iveyser: Iron in “Maryland, its Resources, Industries and 
Institutions,” Pages 100-112. Baltimore, 1893. 

THE IRON ORES OF MARYLAND. 

The four chief ores of iron are known to occur and have at some 
time been worked in Maryland. Arranged in the order of their 
importance in the State, they are Limonites, Carbonates, Hematites 
and Magnetites. 

The map, Plate XII, shows the distribution of these ores in the 
State. Limonites are found in the Appalachian, Piedmont and 
Coastal Plain areas. They attain their greatest development in the 
Piedmont and the eastern portion of the Appalachian area. Car¬ 
bonates occur in the Appalachian region and in the Coastal Plain. 
The carbonates of the Appalachian region are found in the Coal 
Measures of Western Maryland. The Coastal Plain carbonates are 
in the Arundel formation along the western edge of the Coastal 
Plain. Hematites occur in two varieties, red hematite and specular 
hematite. The red hematites occur in the Clinton formation of the 
Appalachian region. The specular hematite occurs in the Piedmont 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. VOLUME IX, PLATE XIII. 























































































































































. 







- . 

















































Maryland Geological Survey 


170 


in a quartz vein in Carroll County. Magnetites are found only in 
the Piedmont and at the eastern edge of the Appalachian region. 


The Limonites. 

The limonites, as has already been stated, form by far the most 
important class of iron ores in Maryland. Geologically considered 
they fall into four distinct groups, which, arranged from west to 
east, according to their geographical distribution in the State, are the 
following: 

Devonian limonites. 

Cambro-Ordovician limonites. 

Limonites associated with the crystalline limestones of the Pied¬ 
mont. 

Bog iron ores. 

The Devonian limonites are limited to the Appalachian region 
and occur in Allegany and Washington Counties. The Cambro- 
Ordovician limonites occur in the eastern part of the Appalachian 
area and the western edge of the Piedmont in Washington and 
Frederick counties. The limonites associated with the crystalline 
limestones of the Piedmont, occur in Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore 
and Harford counties. The bog iron ores attain economic impor¬ 
tance only in the Coastal Plain. 

Hone of these ores are original deposits, but they are all due 
either to a residual concentration of ferriferous materials or to direct 
replacement of other rock by means of ferriferous solutions. It is 
also a significant fact that nearly all of these deposits occur closely 
associated with limestone, demonstrating the important part played 
bv calcium carbonate in the formation of such iron ore bodies. 


the devonian limonites. 

The Devonian limonites are found in the Appalachian region in 
Allegany and Washington counties. They occur at two horizons, at 
the Llelderberg-Oriskany contact and at the Oriskany-Romney con- 


180 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


tact. The position of these horizons in the Devonian system is seen 
from the following classification: 

Hampshire 

Jennings 

Romney 

Ore horizon 

Oriskany 

Ore horizon 

Helderberg 

The Helderberg formation consists of limestones usually purer 
and more massive than those of the underlying Tonoloway formation, 
and some shales. Its thickness in Maryland is about 260 feet. 

The Oriskany formation in its typical development is a coarse¬ 
grained, somewhat friable, massive calcareous sandstone, white or 
yellow in color. At times the materials become very coarse-grained, 
forming a conglomerate. The thickness of the formation is quite 
variable, with a maximum thickness of about 350 feet. 

The Romney formation consists near its base of thin fissile black 
shales, with several thin bands of limestone. The overlying beds 
are arenaceous shales with several heavy beds of sandstone. Its 
thickness is usually about 600 feet. 

Helderberg-OrisJcany Limonites. 

The Helderberg-Oriskany contact throughout its extent in the 
eastern United States occasionally shows a small deposit of limonite, 
but it is only in Virginia that this contact becomes an important ore 
horizon. In that State the ores show a remarkable development and 
are well known under the name of the “Oriskany” ores. In Mary¬ 
land this horizon is of no particular importance, and but two deposits 
are known, only one of which has ever been worked. 

Washington County. 

Barton Deposit [1*].—On Miss Ella Barton’s place, three miles 
northwest of Hancock,_ on the east side of Tonoloway Ridge, there is 

*The numbers enclosed in brackets indicate the locations on the local map 
covering the region under discussion. 



78'fO 



[Smuiketown 


ievola if 
Mount fleasant 


oun-sboro 


Rohen 


•argon. 


77*40' 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


0 ) o 
nt 


VOLUME IX. PLATE XIV. 

77 *40 


LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY 


con 



























































































Maryland Geological Survey 


181 


considerable limonite float on the surface. For a distance of about 
two hundred yards along the hillside the ore fragments are very 
abundant, and then gradually grow less abundant to the north and 
south. The source of the iron has evidently been the overlying 
Oriskany sandstone. The sandstone here is somewhat iron-stained 
and has been leached and disintegrated by percolating waters. These 
waters taking the iron into solution came in contact with the under¬ 
lying Helderberg limestone and had their iron contents precipitated. 
An analysis of the ore shows a good grade of non-Bessemer ore. 


ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM BARTON DEPOSIT. 

Fe . 43.42 

SiO» . 23.16 

A1 2 0 3 . 2.75 

Mn .Little. 

P .16 

S.16 

ignition. 9.00 

The deposit has never been worked, in fact, not even prospected. 
Its great drawback ‘is the lack of transportation facilities, as other¬ 
wise, the showing would fully justify careful prospecting. 

Wheatstone Ore Bank [2].—Helderberg-Oriskany ore was for¬ 
merly worked on Mr. John Wheatstone’s farm about two miles north¬ 
east of Indian Springs, at the foot of the west slope of Fairview 
Mountain. The property was then owned by Jacob Wheatstone and 
Bichard Browning, and the ore was shipped to the Green Spring 
furnace about three miles south of here. There was one large open¬ 
ing made 200 by 100 feet in area and about eight feet deep; and 
two smaller openings 50 and 20 feet in diameter, respectively. 

At the south end and along the east side of the larger opening is a 
ledge of highly ferruginous conglomerate, which at places consists of 
over 50 per cent, limonite. In a ravine to the southwest of the open¬ 
ing is an exposure of limestone, the strike of which would carry it 
along the west edge of the opening. This places the ore body right 
at and along the contact. A sample taken from old piles of ore 
around the opening showed the following composition: 









1S2 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM WHEATSTONE ORE BANK. 


Fe . 

. 36.20 

SiOo . 

. 27.06 

AloOq . 

. 7.96 

Mn . 


P. 


S. 

.10 

Ignition . 

. 9.58 


It is very probable that this sample represents a poorer grade than 
the average of that mined, as it tends toward the silicous conglom¬ 
eratic phase and may even represent ore that was rejected. 

Romney-Oriskany Limonites. 

These ores are formed by the replacement of the limestone bands 
near the base of the Romney and are found at many points through¬ 
out the areas in which these rocks outcrop. On account of the thin¬ 
ness of the limestone bands, usually not exceeding six inches in thick¬ 
ness, the ores are generally of no economic importance. They have 
been worked in Allegany County near Cumberland, and in Wash¬ 
ington County southwest of Clear Spring. 

Allegany County. 

The chief outcrops of the Romney formation found in Allegany 
County are in the Flintstone Quadrangle where they occur along 
the foot of nearly all the mountains. Ore deposits have been found 
along Shriver Ridge, Nicholas Mountain, Martin Mountain, and 
Warrior Mountain. They have been worked, however, only at 
Shriver Ridge and Nicholas Mountain. 

The Romney outcrops along the foot of the east slope of Shriver 
Ridge and ore deposits are known at two points in this area. 

Valentine Ore Bank [3].—Ore was mined about 50 years ago on 
Mr. John F. Valentine’s place three miles northeast of Cumberland, 
and hauled to the Lena Furnace at Cumberland by Mr. Michael 
Brotmarkle, who owned the property at that time. Openings were 
made on both sides of the road; but on the east side the ore occurred 
under the stream bed, so that the water greatly interfered with the 
working. Three men were employed in the mining, and one cart 
w T as used for hauling. The openings are now filled in and the land 
cultivated so that no evidence of the former operations remains. 









Maryland Geological Survey 


1S3 


Neff Deposit [4].—On Mr. William Neff’s place, about half a 
mile below the State line, and east of the road at the foot of Shriver 
Ridge, large lumps of limonite are found scattered over the surface. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM NEFF DEPOSIT. 


Fe . 41.41 

Si0 2 . 21.46 

AI 0 O 3 . 3.78 

Mn .3S 

P .28 

S.11 

Ignition. 12.47 


The extent of this occurrence is unknown. 

At several points along the foot of the west slope of Nicholas 
Mountain ore occurs. Along the road running north from the 
Williams Road, the replacement of the limestone beds by ore is well 
shown. All stages in the process can be seen here, from the unaltered 
limestone to the ore in which the limestone has been completely 
replaced. The shales adjacent to the altered limestone are usually 
decomposed to a gray or yelloiv clay. When the beds are exposed 
they are only a few inches thick, so that, although ore is said to 
have been worked in this vicinity, the deposits must have been of 
very limited extent. 

Ore Deposit One and a Half Miles North of Williams Road [5]. 
Ore is said to have been worked on the east side of the road running 
along the foot of the mountain about one and a half miles north of 
the Williams Road at the point shown on the map, and also on the 
knob to the north of this point. No evidence of the operations 
remains. 

Knight Farm Ore Bank [6].—Ore is also said to have been worked 
on the Knight farm south of the Williams Road. Mr. Joseph 
Collins, who now lives on the place, said he ploughs up pieces of 
limonite on the hill back of his house. This is the only evidence of 
ore on the place at present, all evidence of former operations being 
obliterated. 









184 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Guepl Deposit [7].—At the foot of the east side of Martin Moun¬ 
tain two prospect holes were put down on Mr. Joseph Guepl’s place., 
about a hundred feet west of the road. Although ore was found, it 
was not enough to warrant further exploitation. 

Warrior Mountain. —Thin beds of Romney ore are exposed at 
a number of points along the east side of Warrior Mountain. At 
some places they attain a thickness of nearly one foot, but there 
is nowhere any evidence of an occurrence of economic value. About 
twenty-five years ago Mr. Jacob Williams, of Bedford County, Penn¬ 
sylvania, secured ore rights along this mountain but never attempted 
any development. 

Washington County. 

On the west side of Tonoloway Ridge near the head of Long Hol¬ 
low, there is an unimportant outcrop of the Romney limestone which 
is altered to limonite. This horizon attains its chief development in 
the State in the North Mountain area, southwest of Clear Spring, 
where several important ore bodies have been worked. In this area 
the position of the ore bodies has also changed in the case of the 
more important deposits. Some of the smaller deposits, as at the 
stave mill, occur in the same position as those farther west, that is, 
in the Romney shales above the Oriskany; but the larger deposits are 
at the contact itself and extend both down into the Oriskany forma¬ 
tion and up into the Romney shales. 

The ore deposits in the North Mountain region occur within 
about four miles west and southwest of Clear Spring. Figure 2 
represents a portion of the Williamsport sheet and shows the location 
of the ore deposits. Two large deposits have been worked and sev¬ 
eral smaller ones. The ore was used at the Green Spring Furnace, 
two miles west of Clear Spring Station, on the Western Maryland 
Railroad. 

Ore Batik One Mile Southeast of Indian Springs [8].—One mile 
southeast of Indian Springs and a little over a mile west-northwest, 
of Green Spring Furnace, there is an old ore opening 75 by 25 feet 
and 6 feet deep, and a hundred feet south of this is another smaller 
opening. The openings are located about one hundred yards north- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


IS 5 


west of an old stave mill. The ore occurs associated with a greenish 
to yellow shale, near the Oriskany contact. 

I 

Charles Ore Bank [9].—On the east side of Fairview Mountain, 
one mile south of the Cumberland road, on Mr. B. F. Charles’ prop¬ 
erty are several old opening's. The largest of these is not more than 
twenty feet in diameter, so that this ore was never worked to any 



extent. Moreover, from the topographical position of the ore, it 
is very improbable that any large deposit occurs here, as the open¬ 
ings are well up on the slope of the hill. 


Green Spring Ore Bank [10].—On the hill north of Green Spring, 
about one hundred yards from the spring itself, are several small 























186 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


openings which are probably nothing more than prospect holes, al¬ 
though some ore is said to have been taken from them. The hill 
seems to be due to a minor anticline bringing up the Oriskany, al¬ 
though no exposure of the Oriskany in place occurs on it. The 
sandstone debris is, however, very heavy and massive. 

Ore Bank One Mile North of Green Spring Furnace [11].—One 
of the two most important sources of ore for the Green Spring Fur¬ 
nace was the bank one mile north of the furnace. This opening is 
500 feet long and has a maximum width of about 160 feet and a 
depth of about 20 feet. The west wall of the opening shows mas¬ 
sive slabs of a heavy sandstone which varies from quartzitic to con¬ 
glomeratic in character and is very ferruginous. When these blocks 
are apparently in place, they show a dip of 40° E. A gully run¬ 
ning out of the opening bends around the south end of a hill three 
hundred feet to the southwest. At this point there is exposed the 
nose of an anticline of the same quartzitic to conglomeratic sand¬ 
stone. Three hundred feet west of the opening are exposures of a 
bluish gray calcareous shale striking H. 10° W. and dipping 40° 
W. Hence we have on the west of the ore bank a small anticline 
which brings up the Oriskany formation and the east limb of that 
anticline forms the west wall of the opening. Some prospect holes 
were put down on the west side of the anticline; but, as no ore was 
taken from them, it is probable that none occurs on that side. 

The east wall of the opening has a six to eight-foot layer of hill- 
wash, below which occurs clay and decomposing shale. Dissemi¬ 
nated through this clay and shale are nodules of ore and materials 
showing all stages between ore and shale. The sides of the bank 
are now so washed-in that no good exposures of ore can be seen. 
The deposit is obviously limited on the west side by the Oriskany 
anticline; how far it extends on the other three sides and to what 
depth it is impossible to say. Across the road from the opening are 
several holes which are said to mark the location of shafts. If this 
is true, the ore body is much more extensive than the present ex¬ 
posures would indicate and may yet furnish considerable ore. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


187 


Ore Bank Two Miles Northeast of Green Spring Furnace [ 12 ].— 
The second of the two most important sources of ore for the Green 
Spring furnace was a bank two miles northeast of the furnace. This 
opening is about 400 feet long and has a maximum width of 140 
feet and depth of about 25 feet. The ore body occurs along the 
stream bed. The overburden varies from 6 to 10 feet. Below this 
is a yellow clay containing lumps of limonite. Not much ore shows 
in the lower part of the opening. In the upper part, however, there 
are several exposures of ore, one of which extends across the open¬ 
ing. About seventy-five feet west of the north end of the bank is 
another opening 150 feet long, 50 feet wide at the south end and 
tapering off toward the north, which is 20 feet deep. This opening 
shows large blocks of ferruginous quartzite and conglomerate. From 
the appearance of the opening it seems that a tunnel or shaft was 
put in at the south end. This opening marks the western limit of 
the deposit. It does not extend much further up the stream than 
it has been worked, as no trace of the associated shales and clays is 
found in the stream bed more than a short distance beyond the 
opening. Its limits on the east and south and its depth have never 
been determined. A sample taken from the exposures showed a 
good grade of non-Bessemer ore. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM ORE BANK TWO MILES NORTHEAST OF GREEN SPRING FURNACE. 


Fe . 

. 45.79 

SiO*>. 

. 18.37 

AI 2 O 3 . 


Mn . 


P. 


S. 


Ignition . 

. 10.72 


It has been seen from the preceding pages that at a number of 
points in Allegany and Washington counties small limonite deposits 
occur in the Romney at or near its contact with the Oriskany for¬ 
mation. In most of these cases the ore has been directly traced to 
the replacement of thin beds of limestone near the base of the 
Romney. The ores, except in the last two cases described, have been 
of little importance on account of their size, being limited by the ex- 









188 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


treme thinness of the original limestone layers. The question then 
arises what caused the exceptional development of these two ore 
bodies at this same horizon. The geology of this region has not yet 
been worked out in detail, but enough work has been done on the 
stratigraphy to show that a marked change has taken place in the 
character of the Oriskany formation. In place of the massive coarse¬ 
grained sandstone farther west, with a thickness of 300 feet or more, 
the formation is here represented by a thin bed, approximately 50 
feet in thickness of a very calcareous nature. At the top of the for¬ 
mation is a coarse conglomerate and below this a very arenaceous 
limestone. 

This change in the stratigraphy has brought about a change in both 
the position and the nature of this group of ore deposits. Attention 
has already been called to the fact that farther west the ore occurs 
as a replacement of the thin limestone hands near the base of the 
Romney shales. The presence of the more prominent Oriskany 
calcareous formation in this region lias made it the controlling factor 
in the deposition of the iron ore. From the description of the two 
more important deposits of the region, it is seen that the foot wall of 
the deposits consists of the Oriskany. This is highly ferruginous 
and in places rich enough to form part of the ore. On the hanging 
wall is the Romney, consisting of clay and decomposing shale which 
a'rade over into ore. 

Hence these deposits are precipitation deposits rather than replace¬ 
ment deposits. The leaching of the calcareous Oriskany formation 
gave rise to calcareous waters which mingling with the iron-bearing 
waters of the Romney caused a precipitation of the iron at the con¬ 
tact of the two formations. In this way the deposition of the iron 
was not limited to a definite thin stratum and larger ore bodies were 
formed. 

CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN LIMONITES. 

The deposits under this head occur with the rocks of Cambrian 
and Ordovician age, and are hence found in the area in which these 
rocks outcrop,—that is, in eastern Washington County and western 
Frederick County. The two most extensively worked ore bodies in 
the State belong to this group,—the Maryland Bank on the Potomac 


Maryland Geological Survey 


189 


River northwest of Harpers Ferry, and the Catoctin deposits at 
Catoctin Furnace in Frederick County. 


Stratigraphy of the Cambro-Ordovician Rocks. 

Ihe rocks of Cambrian and Ordovician age in Maryland are di¬ 
vided into the following formations: 

ORDOVICIAN. 


Martinsburg formation. 700-1,000' 

Chambersburg limestone. 100- 600' . 

Stones River limestone. 800-1,000' 

Beekmantown limestone. 2,250-2,300' 


CAMBRIAN. 2 


Conococheague limestone 

Elbrook limestone. 

Waynesboro formation... 

Tomstown limestone. 

Antietam formation. 

Harpers formation. 

Weverton formation. 

Loudon formation. 


Shenandoah 


1,635' 
3,000' 
1,250' 
1 , 000 ' 
500' 
1 , 200 ' 
200- 300' 
500' 


Group, l 


The Loudon formation consists largely of a fine dark slate with 
limestones, shales, sandstones, and conglomerates, locally inter- 
bedded. Its thickness ranges from a few to over 500 feet. 

The Weverton formation consists of massive beds of fine, pure 
sandstone, quartzite, and conglomerate. Its thickness varies from 
200 to 300 feet. 

The Harpers formation is composed largely of dull bluish gray 
sandy shales, with a few sandstone layers in its upper portion. Its 
thickness is estimated at about 1200 feet. 

The Antietam formation is a dull brown sandstone grading be¬ 
low into the Harpers shale. Its thickness is about 500 feet. 

The Shenandoah group is composed of a series' of blue and gray 
limestones and dolomites in which slates and sandy shales occur 
locally. The slates and sandy shales become quite prominent in 
the Waynesboro and Elbrook formations. The base of the Cono- 

1 Sudivision of the Shenandoah Group after G. W. Stose, Journal of Geol., 
Vol. XVI, No. 8, Nov.-Dee., 1908, p. 698. 

2 Thicknesses of the Cambrian formations below the Shenandoah Group are 
taken from Keith, 14th Ann. Rept., U. S. G. S., Part II, pp. 285-395. 

















190 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


cocheague limestone is marked by the presence of limestone con¬ 
glomerates containing rounded, vitreous quartz grains and others 
containing tabular fragments of limestone. The total thickness 
of this group is about 10,000 feet. 

The Martinsburg formation consists of sandstone and of black 
and gray calcareous and argillaceous shales. Its thickness varies 
from 100 to 1000 feet. 


Position of the Ores. 

Three types of deposits occur under this head. The first type 
includes those at contacts of the Shenandoah limestone with other 
formations. The second type consists of residual deposits in the 
limestone itself away from other rocks. In the third type are 
placed those deposits which occur in the Cambrian formations ap¬ 
parently unassociated with limestone. 

Limestone Contact Deposits. 

The limestone contact deposits are by far the most important 
of the three types of Cambro-Ordovician limonites. Moreover, most 
and especially the largest of the deposits under this type are not 
simple contact deposits, but are fault contact deposits, as at the 
Maryland Bank and at Catoctin Furnace. It thus follows that these 
deposits attain their chief development in the faulted areas of the 
South Mountain region. West of Hagerstown there is a belt of 
Martinsburg shale crossing the State, with Shenandoah limestone 
on each side of it. Mr. Williams made a search along these two 
contacts but failed to find any evidence of limonite deposits, show¬ 
ing the important part played by faults in the formation of these 
deposits. Further west, at the edge of Forth Mountain, where the 
Shenandoah limestone is faulted into contact with the Bomney 
shales, ore deposits again occur. The significance of this connec¬ 
tion of faults with the ore deposits is readily seen from their origin. 
The leaching of the shales in the process of weathering gives rise 
to ferriferous solutions. As these solutions come into contact with 
the limestone their iron content is precipitated. If the contact be- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


191 


tween the shales and the limestones is a fault contact, the shattered 
zone thus produced furnishes an area along which there is abun¬ 
dant infiltration of the percolating waters ; and, as they enter this 
zone, they deposit their iron content. 

The ores of this type occur in both Washington and Frederick 
Counties. In Washington County they occur along the western 
edge of the Hagerstown Valley at the foot of the east slope of 
North Mountain, where the Shenandoah limestone is faulted against 
the Romney shales; and along the western edge of the Blue Nidge 
where the limestone is faulted against the Harpers shale. In Fred¬ 
erick County they occur along the western edge of the Frederick Val¬ 
ley at the foot of the east slope of Catoctin Mountain, where the 
limestone is faulted against the Loudon shale. 

Washington County. 

Wilson Farm Ore Bank [13].—There are two old openings on 
the Wilson Farm three miles north of Clear Spring. The larger 
one is 100 by 200 feet and now less than 10 feet deep. The smaller 
one, a hundred feet north of this, is about 20 feet in diameter. The 
ore occurs at the fault contact between the Romney shales of De¬ 
vonian age and the Shenandonah limestone at the foot of North 
Mountain. The openings are now washed in and no ore in place is 
exposed, but lumps of ore are profusely scattered about in the neigh¬ 
borhood. It is a very compact limonite showing the following com¬ 
position : 

ANALYSIS OF OKE FEOM WILSON FARM ORE BANK. 


Fe . 

. 51.63 

SiO-> . 

. 8.52 

AI 2 O 3 . 


Mn . 


P. 


S . 

. 10 

Ignition . 

. 11.77 


The ore occurs in such a solid condition that, when the deposit 
was worked, blasting had to be resorted to. It was worked about 
twenty-nine years ago and hauled to Mercersburg, from where it was 









192 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


shipped to Chambersburg. On account of the long haul to the rail¬ 
road, work was stopped after a few months’ operations. 

Kolder Ore Bank [14].—One mile south of Pondsville on Mr. 
A. II. Kohler’s place ore was worked before 1828 and sent to the 
Mount Etna furnace one mile south of here. The bank is situated 
about one hundred yards west of the road and a hundred feet north 
of the stream crossing the road. It is 450 feet long, 15 feet wide, 
and from 10 to 20 feet deep. The depth originally was greater than 
this, as it has been partly filled up by stones thrown in from the 
fields. The ore does not occur right at the contact of the limestone 
and the Harpers formation against which the limestone has been 
faulted, but a little to the west of the contact. The ore body lies 
between two beds of limestone striking K. 29° E. and dipping 72° 
W. That the ore extends beyond the present opening is shown by 
the fact that it was encountered by a drift put in at the creek. The 
water forced the abandonment of the drift before it was carried 
very far so that ore was removed only from the open cut. 

Lane Property Ore Bank [15].—The openings on the Lane prop¬ 
erty were made east of the road between Pondsville and Smoke- 
town, nearlv two miles south of Pondsville. They occur along the 
foot of a steep rise in the hill slope for a distance of about two thou¬ 
sand feet. The top of the hill is formed of Antietam sandstone, 
striking H. 30° E. and dipping 40° E. Below this comes the Har¬ 
pers shale, and at the fault contact of the shale and the limestone 
the ore bodies occur. A large number of small openings have been 
made so that it seems that the ore must be irregularly distributed 
in small pockets which were opened up wherever they were revealed 
by prospecting. 

Appletown Ore Bank [16].—Ore was worked at the north end of 
Appletown, about one mile south of Boonsboro, and shipped to the 
Mariah furnace at Mouse-town about a quarter of a mile east of 
Boonsboro. The county road now crosses the site of the old opening. 
The mining was begun on the west side of the road in Mr. Allen 
Stone’s field, and extended across the road into Mr. All’s field. 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XV. 



CvwSpruu / 


woo cL 

boro 


Mountt 



.M'Ejiu) 


f (UllSV 


Thurston 


<fRocks, 


Conus, 


LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN PART OF FREDERICK COUNTY 




































































Maryland Geological Survey 


193 


which is now owned bv Mr. Vinton Eakle. Most, of the work was 

V 

done by tunneling, although some of it was by open cut. The 
openings are now filled up and the only evidence of ore consists of 
loose pieces scattered about on the ground. The ore occurs at the 
fault contact of the Shenandoah limestone and the Harpers shale. 

Potomac Refining Company Deposit [17].—This deposit occurs 
on the Potomac River, three miles north of Harpers Ferry, and is 
described on page 326, in connection with the manganese ores. 

Maryland Bank [18].—On the north bank of the Potomac River., 
one mile northwest of Harpers Ferry, on a point made by a bend 
in the river, is an old opening known as the Maryland Bank. This 
deposit in the quantity of ore it has produced ranks second only 
to the Catoetin deposits in Frederick County, and it was one of 
the chief sources of ore for the Antietam furnaces, which were 
located at the mouth of Antietam Creek five miles north of here. 

The ore occurs in the Shenandoah limestone at the fault which 
brings the limestone in contact with the Harpers shale. It extends 
along the entire length of the fault from where it crosses the Chesa¬ 
peake and Ohio Canal on the north to the second crossing on the 
south, a distance of 2,000 feet, and has been worked over a distance 
of more than 200 yards west of the fault plane. A large number of 
openings of various sizes have been made in this area all running 
parallel to the strike of the limestone which is X. 20° E. Many of 
them are separated by solid ledges of limestone dipping 75° E. 
At some places five or six rows have been made, separated by lime¬ 
stone ledges. 

The property is now owned by Mr. Joseph E. Thropp and may 
be opened again in the near future. It is probable that the deposit 
has been worked laterally to its limits and that the quantity of ore 
still available will depend on the depth to which it extends. 

Frederick County. 

On the west side of the Frederick Valley along the foot of Catoetin 
Mountain, the only known ore deposits belonging to this type are the 
large and important occurrences on what is known as the Catoetin 
property. 


194 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


CATOCTIN PROPERTY 

The Catoctin property consists of over 10,000 acres, a tract about 
six miles long with a maximum width of four and a half miles. It 
is situated along the eastern slope of Catoctin Mountain, south of 
Thurmont. Limonite has been worked at three points on the prop- 



FIG. 3. -SKETCH SHOWING DEVELOPMENT AT OEE BANK ONE MILE NORTH OF 

CATOCTIN FURNACE. 


erty,—back of the site of the old furnaces, a little over a mile 
north of the furnaces, and a half mile south of the furnace site, 
back of Dr. McPherson’s house. At the present time only the de¬ 
posit north of the furnace is being worked. 









Maryland Geological Survey 


195 


Ore Bank One Mile North of Catoctin Furnace [19].—By far 
the largest of the openings on this property are those one mile north 
of Catoctin furnace, several hundred yards west of the Frederick 
and Emmitsburg road. A sketch map showing the extent and char¬ 
acter of these openings is given in Figure 3, the solid black lines 
represent the openings as they were at the end of June, 1908, and 
the dotted lines the changes that had been made through mining 
by January, 1911, that is, the course taken by the steam shovels 
during that time. This sketch shows that the ore body has been 
worked over a width of 800 feet at right angles to the strike of the 
rocks, and for a distance of over 2,000 feet along the strike. These 
openings afford the best opportunity in the State for the study of 
this type of ore deposit, both on account of their extent and the ex¬ 
cellent fresh exposures made by the steam shovels. 

The ore is a good grade of non-Bessemer limonite occurring in 
lumps of various sizes intimately intermingled with a blue and 
yellow clay. For seven tons of such material sent to the washer, 
one ton of ore is obtained. In some places rich pockets of almost 
solid ore are found which have to be shattered by blasting before 
they can be removed. In these richer pockets the blue clay almost 
completely disappears and the associated clay has a rich golden yel¬ 
low color. The greater portion of such ore is hand-picked and 
shipped without washing. The following analyses were made of 
samples taken from these openings: 

ANALYSES OF ORE FROM BANK ONE MILE NORTH OF CATOCTIN FURNACE. 

8 9 12 13 14 


Fe. 40.04 37.21 38.69 42.82 41.35 

SiOo . 22.59 25.32 19.61 19.18 16.16 

AI 9 O 3 .. 6.69 7.45 6.30 5.38 6.23 

Mn .15 .61 2.15 .64 3.41 

CaO.64 .65 1.01 .72 .60 

MgO. .34 .55 .41 .27 .80 

P.23 .29 .43 .32 .18 

S.09 .05 .05 .05 .05 

Ignition. 10.86 9.55 11.62 10.68 11.51 


Samples 8, 9 and 12 were taken at the points indicated on the 
sketch of the openings. Samples 13 and 14 were taken from the 
cars ready for shipment. Sample 14 is crushed lump ore which is 












196 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


not washed, and sample 13 is washed ore. These analyses show 
that the manganese content is quite variable but does not run too 
high, sulphur is low, and phosphorus considerably above the Bes¬ 
semer limit. Washing and sorting increases the iron content about 
four per cent, and lowers the silica about the same amount. 

An examination of the blue and yellow clay shows that the yel¬ 
low clay represents a more complete stage in the concentration of 
the iron ore than the blue. Samples 10 and 11 show the relative 
composition of the two clays. The point at which these samples 
were taken is shown on the sketch map. 


ANALYSIS OF YELLOW AND BLUE CLAY FROM ORE BANK ONE MILE 
NORTH OF CATOCTIN FURNACE. 


Fe. 

SiOo ... 

ai 9 o 3 .. 

CaO .. . 
MgO ... 

P. 

S. 

Ignition 


10. Yellow Clay. 
6.68 
61.42 
15.98 
.21 
1.46 
.25 
8.06 
4.98 


11. Blue Clay. 
5.62 
57.88 
15.74 
1.15 
3.40 
.28 
1.79 
6.65 


When the blue clay is examined under a lens it is found to con¬ 
tain a quantity of finely divided iron pyrite disseminated through 
it. Sometimes these particles are large enough to be seen plainly 
with the naked eye, and frequently large lumps of marcasite are 
found weighing several pounds. An examination of the yellow 
clay fails to reveal any of the iron sulphide. A comparison of the 
analyses shows that the blue clay contains 1.79 per cent, of sulphur 
and the yellow clay .06 per cent. Hence the yellow 7 clay represents 
an oxidized phase of the blue clay from which the sulphur has been 
almost completely leached out, and the oxidation of the iron from 
the ferrous to the ferric condition has given the clay its yellow* 
color. 

The geological 'position of the ore is indicated by the following 
observations: The west side of the ore body lies against tan-colored 
shales striking X. 27° E. and dipping 68° E. These shales were 
well exposed along the w r est side of openings Ho. 2 and Ho. 3, in 
September, 1908, when they had just been laid bare by the Marion 
shovel. In the blue bank the shales are of a dark steel-blue color 










Maryland Geological Survey 


197 


and weather into clays of the same color. The contact between the 
ore and the shale is very irregular and masses of only partially 
decomposed shale occur within the ore itself and near the west edge 
of the deposit immediately under the ore. This relation is well 
shown along the north wall of Ho. 2 opening, especially at the west 
end. 

Limestone has been encountered at several places in the open¬ 
ings and also on the north side of the tram tracks 200 feet north¬ 
west of the highway. In the middle of opening Ho. 1, a ledge of 
limestone was encountered projecting about a foot above the present 
level. Another exposure, which is limestone conglomerate, occurs 



between openings Ho. 2 and Ho. 3. A third exposure occurs just 
east of the north end of the Wash Trough Bank. The largest ex¬ 
posures of limestone are those laid bare by the mining operations 
during the past year or two around what was known as Jessups 
Cut. Along the course of the steam-shovel from opening Ho. 1 to 
the Wash Trough Bank, there is an exposure of limestone on the 
west side for a distance of about one hundred feet, projecting for 
as much as eight feet above the floor of the opening. Then on a 
higher level, on the south side of Jessups Cut, is another outcrop of 
limestone. In sinking a shaft at the east end of the Blue Bank, 
limestone was encountered at a depth of eighteen feet below the 
level to the track. 

















398 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


The geology and structure of this area as worked out by Keith 1 
are shown in Figure 4. 

The Loudon formation has been brought up by an overthrust 
anticline, the east limb of which has been faulted out, bringing the 
Shenandoah limestone into contact with the Loudon shales. The 
ore body occurs in the zone of this fault plane. The presence 
of the limestone conglomerate between openings No. 2 and No. 3, 
and again one mile below Catoctin Furnace where it is underlain 
by inter-stratified shales and limestones well exposed in a stream 
bed, would place the horizon of the Shenandoah group exposed along 
the fault plane among the upper members of the Cambrian portion. 

The mining is now being done exclusively by steam-shovels. 
Where the ore is too compact for the shovels, it is first blasted and 
then removed by the shovels. It is loaded on tram cars and hauled 
by locomotives to the washers which are located on the east side of 
the Emmitsburg Road. Two washers are now used, and there is 
usually sufficient water available for both. A side track from the 
Frederick Railroad runs under the washers, and as the ore comes 
from them it is dumped into cars ready for shipment. It is then 
hauled to Thurmont and there transferred to the Western Maryland 
Railroad and shipped to Mr. Thropp’s furnaces at Everett, Pa. 

The overburden which consists of wash from the mountain is 
variable in amount. The natural overburden averages about 12 
feet. This is considerably increased at some places, due to the 
fact that when the banks were formerly worked, instead of remov¬ 
ing the overburden, it was dumped on other ore ground. The area 
between Jessups Cut and opening No. 1 is such a place. 

Nothing definite can be said as to the extent of the ore deposit. 
Prospecting in Jessups Cut and exposures on the walls of the bank 
would indicate that the deposit can be worked along its entire length 
to its present maximum width of 800 feet. It has been worked to 
its limits on the northwest. As the ground slopes toward the south¬ 
east, the cut made for the tram road is through hill wash as soon 
as it leaves the ore openings, so that the southeastern limit is un¬ 
known. That it does not extend as far as the highway is certain, 


114th Ann. Rept., U. S. G. S., Part II, pp. 285-395. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


199 


as the underlying rocks there come to the surface. As no prospect¬ 
ing has been done northeast and southwest of the present openings, 
nothing is known as to the limits of the deposits in those directions. 
The present level of the openings has a bottom of ore so that the 
deposit extends below the depth to which it has been worked. 

The known extent of the ore body is 2,000 feet by 800 feet and 
the depth of the present level on which the tracks are laid is 20 
feet. For seven tons of material removed, one ton of ore is obtained. 
One ton of ore is about 9 cubic feet. About one-third of the ore 
over the above area has been removed. This represents then about 
170,000 tons. There still remains above the present level 340,000 
tons. How much lower the ore extends, is not known; except that 
at the east end of opening Ho. 1 work has been carried to a depth 
of eighteen feet below the level of the track. For every foot of ad¬ 
ditional depth, there would be 26,000 tons of ore, if the above hori¬ 
zontal dimensions were maintained. The encountering of large 
horsts of limestone, however, would indicate that these dimensions 
are likely to be reduced with increasing depth. 

Ore Banks Back of Catoctin Furnace [20].—Back of the old 
furnace site is an opening 300 feet by 125 feet, striking H. 20° E. 
Since the topography slopes to the east, the west wall of the bank 
is 30 feet and the east 15 feet deep. The sides are washed down 
and no ore is exposed except where prospect holes were put down 
in the summer of 1908. These show ore on both the east and west 
faces and in the bottom. An opening at the south end shows shale. 

One hundred yards south of this opening is another 500 feet 
long and 100 to 150 feet wide, also striking N. 20° E. At the 
south end it is 15 feet deep and at the north end deeper but filled 
with water to within fifteen feet of the top. 

The geologic position of these openings is the same as those one 
mile to the north. 

Ore Bank One-Half Mile South of the Furnace [21].—There is an 
old opening one-half mile south of the furnace back of Dr. McPher¬ 
son’s house. It is 500 by 200 feet and strikes H. 20° E. Its present 
depth is about 20 feet. In the centre of the opening is a large mass 


200 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


that was not removed. The overlying soil has washed down so that 
only a portion of the east side is exposed, showing a ledge of lime¬ 
stone. This entire mass is probably a liorst of unreplaced lime¬ 
stone from around which the ore has been removed. The east wall 
of the opening is also formed of limestone in all stages of decom¬ 
position. Pure, hard limestones grade off, through stringers of 
limestone in ferruginous earth, to the thoroughly decomposed rock 
in which no limestone remains, but in which the texture of the lime¬ 
stone is still in large measure preserved. Below are analyses show¬ 
ing the composition of the limestone and the residue after leaching. 

ANALYSES OF UNALTERED AND DISINTEGRATED LIMESTONE FROM THE BANK ONE-HALF 

MILE SOUTH OF CATOCTIN FURNACE. 

Unaltered Limestone. 


CaO. 27.66 

MgO . 13.32 

SiOo . 8.91 

Al.,6 3 . 4.83 

Fe . 4.39 

Mn. 

P.04 

S . '.03 

Ignition. 39.92 

Disintegrated Limestone. 

CaO. 1.80 

MgO . 3.31 

SiOo . 56.90 

A1o0 3 . 14.20 

Fe". 6.94 

Mn .84 

P.30 

S.14 

Ignition . 5.46 


The composition of the disintegrated limestone is thus seen to 
be the same as that of the clays occurring in association with the 
ore which were described on page 196. Two hundred feet north of 
the opening is an old flint quarry in which the Loudon shales are 
exposed. The geologic relations of this deposit are then the same 
as in the case of the others. 

Ore is still exposed at several places in the opening. At the north 
end is an eight-foot exposure showing thin bands of limonite in yel¬ 
low clay. The composition of the ore at this end of the opening 
is given below. 




















Maryland Geological Survey 


201 


ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM BANK ONE-HALF MILE SOUTH OF CATOCTIN FURNACE. 


Fe . 37.04 

SiOo . 25.10 

AI 0 O 3 . 6.79 

CaO.43 

MgO.95 

Mn. 88 

P.51 

S.23 

Ignition. 11.27 


Discontinuity of the Catoctin Ore Deposits. —It was formerly 
thought that the deposits along this fault plane were continuous, 
but prospecting during the summer of 1908 between this opening 
and those at the furnace showed that this is not the case. A large 
number of prospect holes were put down between these openings. 
Most of them did not go below the hill wash, so that they were of 
no value. A few that did failed to reveal any ore, showing that the 
deposits occur in isolated pockets along the fault. 

History of the Catoctin Ore Banks. —The bank back of Dr. Mc¬ 
Pherson’s house was opened in 1774 by James Johnson & Company 
and the ore smelted in a furnace erected on the property. About 
1820 the property passed into the hands of Blackford & Thornberg 
and later to McPherson & Brien. The latter opened the banks 
which were worked by them in 1844. About that time they 
were succeeded by Peregrine Fitzhugh, and he in turn by John 
Kunkle in 1860. In 1885 John Kunkle’s heirs organized the Ca¬ 
toctin Iron Company which two years later went into the hands of 
receivers. After the receivership had lasted a year, the property 
was sold to a syndicate which organized the Catoctin Mountain Iron 
Company. In 1899 this Company sold out to the Blue Mountain 
Iron and Steel Company, which shut down in February, 1903. All 
of the operators up to this time smelted the ore at the furnaces on 
the property, and their financial difficulties were due to the expense 
of rebuilding and improving the furnaces. In 1905 the property 
was bought by Mr. Joseph E. Thropp, of Earlston, Pa., who began 
mining in 1906 and has operated the mines continuously since then. 
The old furnace buildings have been tom down, and the ore is now 
shipped to Mr. Thropp’s furnaces in Pennsylvania. For further 











202 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


details of the history of this property, the reader is referred to the 
account of the Catoctin furnaces on pages 146-148. 

Residual Deposits in the Shenandoah Limestone. 

Only a few small deposits of this type occur in Maryland and 
they are confined to the limestones of the Hagerstown Valley. 

Washington County. 

McLaughlin Ore Bank [22].—Ore was formerly worked on the 
McLaughlin farm, three miles northeast of Clear Spring, and hauled 
to the Green Spring furnace. The openings have been filled up and 
the only evidence of the ore is lumps of limonite scattered around. 

Ore Bank One-and-a-Half Miles Northwest of Boonsboro [23].— 
A mile and a half northwest of Boonsboro on the line between Mr. 
Thomas Snively’s place and that of Mr. Albert Huffer is an open¬ 
ing about 25 feet long and 8 feet wide, which is now filled up with 
stone, from which ore is said to have been mined about 1870. The 
ore was hauled to Keedysville and shipped to the Knoxville furnace. 

Boonsboro Ore Bank [24].—Ore was worked about a hundred 
years ago at the north end of Boonsboro on the east side of the turn¬ 
pike opposite the present terminus of the electric road. Mo evi¬ 
dence of the operations remains. 

Wyand Ore Bank [25].—About twenty-five years ago ore was 
mined on Mr. Caleb Wyand’s place a half mile west of Keedysville 
from an opening which has since been filled up. The ore was hauled 
to the Norfolk & Western Railroad and shipped to Pennsylvania. 
It occurred as a pocket in a fracture plane of the limestone and 
the expense of working it was so great that the deposit was soon 
abandoned. 

Geeting Ore Bank [26].—There are two old openings on Mr. 
Emanuel Geeting’s place, one mile southwest of Keedysville. The 
smaller opening is about 75 by 20 feet by 6 feet deep. Northwest 
of this opening is another 125 feet long striking N. 5° W., with a 
width of 30 feet and a depth of 10 feet. The north end of this 


Maryland Geological Survey 


203 


opening continues as a tunnel in the limestone for about seventy 
yards. The ore exposed in the tunnel varies in thickness but aver¬ 
ages about two and a half feet. It occurs as a pocket between beds 
of limestone which carry a great deal of pyrite. The limestone is 
very much fractured, and it is along these fractures that the ore 
body was formed. The analysis below was made from a sample of 
this ore. 


ANALYSIS OF OKE FROM GEETING ORE BANK. 


Fe. 49.88 

Si0 2 . 7.21 

A1 2 0 3 . 4.04 

Mn.19 

P.15 

S.20 

Ignition. 15.87 


This deposit was worked about twenty-five years ago and the ore 
shipped to Pennsylvania. A washer was installed which was run 
by water pumped from a nearby branch of Antietam Creek. It 
was finally abandoned on account of the difficulties in mining the 
ore. 

Limonites in the Cambrian Shales. 

The deposits of this type occur in the western part of Frederick 
County along the foot of Catoctin Mountain, and in a small val¬ 
ley parallel to the Frederick Valley on its eastern side, south of 
Frederick Junction. 


Frederick County. 

Zimmerman Ore Bank [27].—A deposit of limonite in the Har¬ 
pers shale on Mr. Elias Zimmerman’s place, one mile west of Feaga- 
ville, was worked about 1870. The opening has since been filled 
up but is said to have been much smaller than the one to the south 
on Miss Kina Thomas’ place. 

Nina Thomas’ Ore Bank [28].—A large deposit of limonite in 
the Harpers shale occurs on Miss Hina Thomas’ place one and a 
half miles southwest of Feagaville. It was worked for several years 
in the late 60’s and early 70’s and the ore hauled to the “Long a 









204 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Coming” furnace at Knoxville, and to Frederick where it was 
shipped to Pittsburg. The ore was worked on a royalty of 25c. 
per ton. The opening is about 500 feet by 30 feet and at places 30 
feet deep. It extends south of the limits of the Thomas place where 
about 350 tons were obtained from Mr. A. B. Castle’s place, which 
adjoins it. The west side of the opening is completely covered with 
wash, but on the east side there are a number of exposures of shale 
and ore. The ore occurs as lumps of limonite of various sizes in a 
dark yellow clay from which it was separated by screening. The 
overburden is not more than six feet. 

Washington Junction Ore Banks [29].—Ore was extensively 
worked in the 70’s at Washington Junction and shipped to Pitts¬ 
burg. These deposits were also worked fifty years earlier as one of 
the sources of ore for the Johnson furnace located one and a half 
miles north of Dickerson. This property is now owned by the 
John II. Smoot heirs, but when worked it was owned by Lloyd C. 
Duval. 

The ore has been worked in a series of openings along a small 
stream extending from Point of Rocks northward for a distance of 
over three thousand feet. At the southern end they are on the east 
side of the stream, but about one thousand feet to the north thev 
are on the other side of the stream. Several pockets of ore are ex¬ 
posed in the stream bed where it crosses the line of the openings. 
They are usually not more than forty feet wide and of various 
lengths,—one of them being several hundred yards long. Rear the 
northern end there is one about seventy-five yards long on the west 
side of the road which is out of line with the others. All of the 
openings still show ore in place, and in general the overburden is 
very light. Just west of the southernmost opening is a small knoll 
on which the ore is exposed at the surface. 

The deposit occurs along a fault plane in the Loudon formation, 
which has cut out the Weverton sandstone. Across the river, in 
Virginia, is another deposit in the same fault plane which has been 
extensively worked. It is said that when the river is low the de¬ 
posit can be traced across in the bed of the river. The ore occurs 


Maryland Geological Survey 


205 


in lumps in the weathered shale and in a blue clay. The composi¬ 
tion of this ore is: 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM WASHINGTON JUNCTION ORE BANKS. 


F©. 38.50 

Si0 2 . 21.23 

A1o0 3 . 5.12 

Mn. 2.11 

P.37 

S.00 

Ignition . 12.33 


Within the area that has been worked there is still a great deal 
of ore that can be mined. The old openings show ore on their walls 
which could be gotten out and the openings extended beyond their 
present limits. In fact, from the exposures in the stream bed al¬ 
ready mentioned, it is very probable that the deposit is continuous 
over the entire distance and the areas between the openings could 
be worked. Moreover, since the conditions must have been identical 
all along the fault plane to where the Weverton again comes in, 
prospecting would in all probability show that it extends up to that 
point. Hence the showing here is such as would justify extensive 
prospecting. 

On the east side of the Frederick Valley, south of Frederick 
Junction, is a small valley in which two ore deposits have been 
worked. The rocks on the east side of the valley are shales of un¬ 
determined age, while those on the west are Ordivician. At several 
points in the valley limestone is exposed, which is probably the 
Chambersburg member of the Shenandoah limestones. 

Kiefer Thomas Ore Bank [30].—On Col. Kiefer Thomas’ place, 
about three-quarters of a mile south of Frederick Junction, ore was 
worked both before and after the Civil War and shipped to the 
“Long a Coming” furnace at Knoxville. The opening is about 
forty feet in diameter and is now filled with water. At the north 
end weathered shales are exposed striking H. 30° E. and dipping 
G0° E. A hundred yards west of the opening there is a small quarry- 
in which a limestone conglomerate is exposed. 









206 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Dave Thomas Ore Bank [31].—Ore was also obtained at the 
same time from Dave Thomas’ place, now owned by Col. Charles 
E. Trail. These openings are on the west side of the valley three 
and a half miles south of Frederick Junction. Several openings 
were made of which the largest is 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet 
deep. These also occur in shales similar to those at the Kiefer 
Thomas bank. 

LIMONITES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRYSTALLINE LIMESTONES OF THE 

PIEDMONT. 

The ore deposits coming under this head occur in Harford, Balti¬ 
more, Carroll, and Frederick counties, and form the most import¬ 
ant class of ore deposits in the State. They fall into two distinct 
groups. In Carroll and Frederick counties they occur at or near 
the contact of the limestones with schistose volcanic rocks. In Har¬ 
ford and Baltimore counties they occur either at or near the con¬ 
tact of the limestones with quartzites and schists, or on the lime¬ 
stone overlain by the Patuxent formation. 

Limonites of Carroll and Frederick Counties. 

These limonites occur at or near the contact of the Piedmont 
limestone with acid and basic schistose volcanics which apparently 
overlie them. The limestones are more crystalline than those of the 
Frederick Valley, and up to the present time no fossils have been 
found in them. It is possible that they represent metamorphosed 
limestones of Shenandoah age or limestone lenses in the Loudon. 
The acid volcanics are meta-rhyolites or meta-andesites. The latter 
are bluish-green schistose rocks with masses of epidote and quartz, 
which through weathering become dull gray or yellow. These rocks 
were originally diabases or andesites, but metamorphism has ob¬ 
scured their original character. They probably owe their present 
position above the limestone to extensive overthrust faulting. 

The ore deposits are found in what is known as Bachman Val¬ 
ley, which extends from Lineboro at the State line to Westminster, 
and continue for some miles to the southwest. The greater part 


Maryland Geological Survey 


207 


of the area is underlain by the volcanics. Within this area of vol¬ 
canics, the limestones outcrop in a series of narrow strips in the 
stream-valleys where they have been brought up by sharp anticlinal 
folds and the overlying volcanics eroded through. It is along the 
edges of these limestone outcrops that the ore deposits occur. Nearly 
all of them are located in the volcanics at the contact with the lime¬ 
stones. There are a few that do not occur at surface contacts, but 
these are usually on the continuation of the strike of an outcrop of 
limestone or in some other position which makes it probable that 
the limestone occurs but a short distance below the surface. 

The volcanic rocks at the ore deposits are thoroughly leached and 
disintegrated and readily fall apart into a peculiar lead-gray paper 
shale. The ores are an excellent grade of non-Bessemer limonite 
running from one to four per cent, in manganese and quite low in 
silica. The analysis given below is an average of six samples of 
these ores. 

AVERAGE OF ANALYSIS OF SIX SAMPLES OF BACHMAN VALLEY ORES. 


Fe. 48.53 

SiO.-. 6.37 

Alo6 3 . 4.16 

CaO .69 

MgO.30 

Mn . 2.06 

P . 1.19 

S .05 

Ignition . 13.88 


Carroll County. 

Keeny Ore Bank [32].—This bank is on Mr. Henry Y. Keeny’s 
place, a mile and a half east of Lineboro, just south of the State 
line. There is an open cut 400 by 100 feet and 30 feet deep with 
an entrance at the northeast end. In front of the entrance is a shaft 
filled with water to within 25 feet of the surface. One hundred feet 
from the entrance within the bank there is a shaft and a 25° in¬ 
cline to the southwest, also filled with water to within the same dis¬ 
tance from the surface. Underground mining has been used here 
so extensively on account of the heavy overburden. 











208 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Abundant water is available for washing the ore. The Harrisburg 
Division of the Western Maryland Railroad is less than half a mile 
from the bank and could be readily reached with easy grade by 
three-fourths of a mile of spur line if the deposit were developed 
sufficiently to justify the building of it. An analysis of ore from 
this bank is as follows: 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM KEENY ORE BANK. 


Fe . 44.44 

Si0 2 . 8-68 

Alo0 3 . 5.21 

CaO .55 

MgO.54 

Mn . 3.50 

P . 1.43 

S .08 

Ignition . 13.89 


Meyer Ore Bank [33].—There is an old opening known as the 
Meyer ore bank one mile west of Lineboro on the east side of the 
county road, which is 200 by 100 feet, and filled with water to 
within 20 feet of the top. The sides are washed in and no ore is 
exposed. 

Miller Ore Bank [34].—Ore was worked for several years about 
thirty-three years ago on Mr. Miller’s place a mile and a half west- 
southwest of Lineboro. The opening is 300 feet long, 150 feet wide 
and 50 feet deep. The spring at Mr. Miller’s house a thousand 
feet southwest of the opening, which is 12 feet deep, is said to have 
gone through eight feet of ore. Ore was also found in a prospect 
hole halfway between the house and the ore bank. These indica¬ 
tions point to a considerable ore body and would justify further 
prospecting on this property. 

Peterman Ore Banks [35].—On Mr. Amos Sauble’s property, 
one mile northeast of Melrose, are two openings. These were 
worked for three years about thirty-five years ago by the Chestnut 
Hill Company when the property was owned by Benjamin Peter¬ 
man. One opening is just west of the house and is 200 feet long, 
40 feet wide and 20 feet deep. The other is located a thousand 











MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XVI. 





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' Maple }/ 

L GrovefL' .. „ 


Wanda, 


‘vrbles 


Wartielils 

bury 


Fenin 


rmrviete 
1 'loving 


awjulule 


■’idiubtjhme 

Amk 


'oodetisbt 


town 


M’biliei 


Daniel 


Betttotvn 


Naufhj 


( '7,7// 
home 


BaDt**st/ 


76 * 50 ' 


39” 

AO' 




LOCATION OK IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF CARROLL ANI) BALTIMORE COUNTIES 


COCO 











































































Maryland Geological Survey 


209 


feet to the northeast and is 250 feet long by 50 feet wide. The 
depth is not known as it is filled with water. 

A half mile northeast of these openings is another known as 
Tracv’s Ore hank. 

t/ 

Ore Bank One-Half Mile North of Ehhvale [36].—A half mile 
north of Ebbvale are two hanks that were worked by the Chestnut 
Hill Company. The larger opening is 200 by 50 feet and 25 feet 
deep. A hundred yards east of this one is a circular opening 75 
feet in diameter and about 20 feet deep. The sides are now washed 
in and no ore is exposed. 



Chestnut Hill Ore Banks [37].—The Chestnut Hill banks are 
located at the terminus of the Bachman Valley branch of the West- 
eni Maryland Railroad on the Oliver Hoover estate and Grove 
B-ros. property. There are five openings that have been worked, 
four of which are shown on the accompanying sketch map. The 
fifth lies a quarter of a mile to the southwest. 


The Grove Bros, openings were worked about twenty-two years 
ago with Mr. Andrew Eisenhut as superintendent. Exposures in 
these openings very strikingly illustrate the relationship of the ore 








210 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


to the limestone and the volcanics. At several points limestone is 
exposed overlain by ore interbedded with gray shale. The follow¬ 
ing is a section of a face exposed at the north end of the southern 
opening: 

SECTION IN GROVE BROTHERS’ SOUTHERN OPENING. 


Soil overburden. Feet. 

Weathered volcanics. 5 

Ore . 1 

Heavy paper shale. 1 

Ore .20 


The analysis of a sample taken from the 20’ face of ore is given 
below: 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM GROVE BROTHERS’ ORE BANK. 


Fe. 49.87 

SiOo . 5.87 

AI 0 O 3 . 2.85 

CaO . 1.12 

MgO.13 

Mn . 1.74 

P . 1.39 

S .04 

Ignition . 13.52 


In the two Chestnut Hill banks no limestone is exposed and only 
the gray papery shales show, except in the southern extension of 
the upper opening, on the west side of which is an excellent ex¬ 
posure of the ore and characteristic gray shale intimately inter- 
banded. A shaft put down at the power house encountered lime¬ 
stone. These banks, therefore, illustrate exceptionally well the posi¬ 
tion of the ore deposits in the volcanics at the contact with the lime¬ 
stone. 

The southwest opening of the Chestnut Hill banks was made 
about eighteen years ago by Peter Helfrich. It is an irregular 
shaped opening about 400 feet in diameter and 70 feet deep. After 
having been abandoned for some years, the deposit here is again be¬ 
ing prospected. A one hundred foot shaft has been sunk on the west 
edge of the bank about one hundred feet south of the power house, 
and a level is being run out under the bank to strike the ore body. 

The other Chestnut Hill bank was opened when the Bachman 
Valley Branch of the Western Maryland Railroad was built and 















Maryland Geological Survey 


211 


was operated until August, 1909, when it was abandoned. On ac¬ 
count of the heavy overburden, the mining had been done by shaft¬ 
ing and the shaft having reached a depth of 110 feet, it was not 
thought advisable to go any deeper. The ore body had a length of 
300 feet and a width of from 20 to 40 feet. In the summer of 
1906, a new washer was installed at the terminus of the railroad 
and the ore was brought to the washer in tram cars and from it 
dumped into cars ready for shipment. The ore occurs in lumps of 
various sizes some of which are so large as to require blasting. The 
accompanying analysis was made from a sample taken at the Chest¬ 
nut ITill Company’s ore pile. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM CHESTNUT HILL COMPANY’S ORE PILE. 


Fe. 48.33 

Si0 2 . 7.54 

AI 0 O 3 . 7.10 

Mn .'.85 

P.57 

S .05 

Ignition . 12.66 


The fifth opening, which lies a quarter of a mile to the south¬ 
west, has been worked within the past two years by the Ebbvale 
Mining Company, the successor to the old Chestnut Hill Mining 
Company, and about 3,000 tons of ore extracted. The bank is about 
250 feet long, 60 feet wide, and was worked to a depth of 50 feet, 
when it was no longer profitable to work it by open cut, and the 
bank was abandoned. In the center, at a depth of twenty feet a 
limestone ledge was encountered dipping steeply to the west, with 
the sheared volcanics on both sides of it. The photograph (Figure 
1, Plate XVII) shows the relation of the limestone to the schists and 
the ore. The projecting rock to the left of the center of the view 
is a mass of limestone bounded on both sides by the sheared vol¬ 
canics. The contact on the foot-wall of the limestone is still well- 
exposed, and can be plainly seen in the lower lefthand corner of 
the photograph. The transition from volcanic to limestone is quite 
abrupt, yet the two rocks are to a slight extent intergrown so that 
they will not cleave at the contact. Just how much importance 
should be attached to this outcrop in the interpretation of the geo 









212 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


logical structure of the entire region, is difficult to say. It is en¬ 
tirely possible for this to be a fault contact and the rocks to have 
been cemented together by a process analagous to “welding” in the 
subsequent folding to which they were subjected. A good face of 
ore still exposed, at the south end of the opening, contains a great 
many geodes of limonite varying in size from an inch or two to a 
foot in diameter, the interior of which show stalactitic forms. 

The mining conditions here are excellent. An abundant supply 
of water is obtained for the washer by pumping the adjoining open¬ 
ing. The railroad terminating right at the banks makes the trans¬ 
portation facilities all that could be desired. The presence of ore a 
quarter of a mile southwest of the main openings makes it very 
probable that the ore body is continuous over the area between, 
indicating a large available reserve. This deposit ought therefore to 
be one of the important producers of the Valley for a long time. 

Neller Ore Bank [38].—There is an old bank on Mrs. Heller’s 
place two miles south of Ebbvale. The opening is 200 by 50 feet 
and 20 feet deep. The sides are washed in and no ore is exposed. 

Schaeffer Ore Banks [39].—Two openings have been made on 
Mr. John Schaeffer’s place, three-quarters of a mile southeast of 
Bachman Mills. On the south side of the County road is an old 
opening made about twenty-five years ago which is 300 by 50 feet 
and 25 feet deep. This was abandoned on account of difficulties 
in transportation. Ore is still exposed in the bank. 

The other bank was opened in 1906 and mining has been car¬ 
ried on both by open cut and by tunneling, the tunnel when visited 
having a length of 70 feet. Between the open cut and the tunnel 
is a log washer, 20 feet in length. The ore was brought to the 
washer in steel tram cars, dumped from the washer into wooden 
cars and then run to the scales a hundred yards to the northwest. 
Here it was loaded on carts and hauled to the railroad at Ebbvale. 

The ore is a limonite of very good quality as shown by the an¬ 
alysis. 


Maryland Geological Survey. 


Volume ix, Plate xvii. 



FIG. 1.—IRON ORE AT CONTACT OF LIMESTONE AND VOLCANICS, BACIIMAN VALLEY, CARROLL 

COUNTY. 



FIG. 2. —NODULE OF SANDY IRON CARBONATE IN ARUNDEL FORMATION, NEAR MILTON AVENUE, 

BALTIMORE CITY. 


Views of Maryland Iron Ore Banks. 










































Maryland Geological Survey 


21 ?, 


ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM SCHAEFFER ORE PILE. 


Fe. 52.39 

Si0 2 . 4.48 

AI 0 O 3 . 2.84 

CaO :.49 

MgO.16 

Mn . 1.01 

P . 1.25 

S .04 

Ignition . 14.16 


This deposit was prospected in August, 1906, by the Mason & 
Dixon Mining Company, of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, and leased 
from Mr. Schaeffer for five years with a ten-year renewal on a 
royalty of 15c. per ton. The lease guarantees a royalty of $3600.00 
in five years. Most of the ore was sold to the Warwick Iron & Steel 
Company at Pottsdam, Pa. The bank was opened in the fall of 
1906, but no ore was shipped until the following June. About 
twelve men were employed and the output ran as high as 40 ton 
per day. On account of the drop in the price of ore during the re-; 
cent panic, work was stopped on February 12, 1908, and has not 
yet been resumed. The monthly output is given below. 


June-July .1907 

August . 

September . 

October . 

November . 

December . 

January .1908 

February . 


Tons. 

223 

356 

377 

337 

123 

58 

150 

130 


Total 


1,754 


An abundant water supply for washing the ore was obtained by 
damming up some spring heads at the washer. The difficulties in 
mining here are the overburden and the lack of transportation fa¬ 
cilities. The overburden in the open cut ranges from 15 to 20 
feet. To avoid the removal of this the underground work was re¬ 
sorted to. The nearest railroad is at Ebbvale, which necessitates a 
haul of three miles. Outside of these difficulties, this is a very 
promising deposit. 























214 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Wareheim Deposit [40].—Prospecting has revealed the presence 
of an ore deposit on Mr. George E. Wareheim’s farm, one mile 
southwest of Bachman Mills. Considerable ore was plowed up on 
this farm and as it was on the line of the proposed extension of the 
Bachman Valley Railroad to Westminster, the property was pros¬ 
pected by the Mason & Dixon Mining Company. A number of 
holes were put down but all except two or three of these have since 
been filled up. According to Mr. Wareheim they showed a deposit 
over 150 feet wide and several hundred feet long. One of the 
holes, the location of which is given on the map, went to a depth of 
40 feet and still showed ore in the bottom. All of the ore seems to 
be rich in manganese as is indicated by the analysis. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM WAREHEIM DEPOSIT. 


Fe . 50.71 

SiO, . 2.54 

A1 2 0 3 . 2.94 

CaO .64 

MgO .31 

Mn . 3.79 

P . 1.08 

S .05 

Ignition . 14.66 


The average depth of the overburden is not over five feet. Abun¬ 
dant water for washing the ore can be obtained in the limestone val¬ 
ley east of the deposit. The only drawback at present is its dis¬ 
tance from the railroad. On the expectation of having the Bach¬ 
man Valley line extended to Westminster, the Mason & Dixon Min¬ 
ing Company leased the property from Mr. Wareheim for ten years 
at an annual rental of $75.00 and a royalty of 15c. per ton. Since 
the plan to extend the railroad has been abandoned, temporarily at 
least, no attempt at mining has been made. 

Mans Ore Bank [41].—Ore was worked forty years ago by Jacob 
Snyder on John and Harvey Maus’ property a half mile west of 
Bixler. The opening is 250 by 150 feet and 25 feet deep. Two 
exposures of ore occur in the opening which show in general a good 
grade, although at places it is quite silicious. In the field just west 
of the opening ore is exposed at the surface, indicating that the de¬ 
posit extends over to the limestone contact. 











Maryland Geological Survey 


215 


The sides are so washed in that the amount of the overburden 
cannot be estimated, but the occurrence of the ore at the surface 
just west of the opening would indicate a light overburden. The 
great drawback to this deposit is its distance from the railroad. 

Hunter Ore Bank [42].—There is an old opening on Mr. Joseph 
Hunter’s place, one mile north of Westminster, extending 800 feet 
in a northeasterly direction, with a width of 150 feet and depth 
of 50 feet. Ore is still exposed at many points in the bank, show¬ 
ing that the deposit is not yet exhausted. The analysis was made 
from a sample taken from these exposures. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM HUNTER ORE BANK. 


Fe . 45.43 

SiOo . 9.10 

AI 9 O 3 . 4.04 

CaO.67 

MgO .35 

Mn. 1.46 

P . 1.43 

S .07 

Ignition . 14.37 


The bank was worked to a depth of 74 feet when it is said lime¬ 
stone was struck, which is very probable, as it is also found in a 
well on this place. 

At the eastern end the overburden is from 15 to 20 feet, but gradu¬ 
ally thins out to about 5 feet on the western end. There is no water 
supply for washing the ore close at hand, but when the bank was 
worked, considerable water was encountered and this was pumped 
out and used for washing. The washer was situated about five hun¬ 
dred feet south of the opening and a spur line which has since been 
destroyed ran from it to the Western Maryland Eailroad a half 
mile distant. 

This deposit was opened about thirty-five years ago by Brooks 
& Company, who obtained a lease for 99 years, and the ore was 
shipped to Ashland. This company failed later and was bought out 
by a Pittsburg company. The deposit has not been worked for 
over twenty years. 











216 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Copps Branch Bank [43].—One mile west of Westminster at a 
fork of Copps Branch is a small opening from which ore was ob¬ 
tained and later limestone quarried. The opening is now pretty 
well filled up and the only evidence of ore is pieces scattered around 
on the ground. 

Avondale Ore Banks [44].—At Avondale on the B. F. Shriver 
Company’s property, formerly known as the Van Bibber place, are 
two openings. The smaller one on the top of the hill north of the 
road is 400 by 30 feet and 15 feet deep. The larger on the north 
bank of Little Pipe Creek is about 200 by 75 feet. It is now filled 
with water so that its depth is unknown, but large mounds on each 
side of the opening indicate that it was extensively worked. The 
sides are washed in and no ore is now exposed. 

This deposit was worked before the Revolution, and the ore 
smelted at a furnace one hundred yards west of the opening, known 
as the Legh furnace. For a few years before the Civil War it was 
operated by the Ashland Iron Company and the ore sent to their fur¬ 
naces at Ashland. The bank was not worked much from 1867 to 
1S80, and after that was abandoned altogether. This company also 
worked two banks just north of Warfieldsburg about two miles south 
of here. 


Frederick County. 

Ensor Bank [45, Plate XXV].—There is an old opening on Mr. 
Ernest Stouffer’s place, one mile northeast of Unionville. After 
lying idle seven or eight years the property was purchased about 
1880 by the Wrightsville Iron Company, of Pennsylvania, and re¬ 
opened. The ore was hauled to Xew Windsor, and from there 
shipped to Wrightsville. The iron produced from this ore was 
found to be cold-short. 1 

The land was then owned by Mr. Elijah Ensor, who sold two 
fields to the operators, which were to revert to him when the deposit 
was abandoned. The opening is 200 by 100 feet, and when worked 
reached a depth of over 50 feet. The ore was washed at the bank 


i Eng. and Min. Jour., Jan. 17, 1880, p. 48. 



0) o 

CO CO 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XVIII. 



,/rdrsuchs 

AftOs\ " 


.erefbr 


viui 

r(ri'ove- 


MonktoiC 


■nc*>e\ 


Cronhcu 


Wflfll 


LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF BALTIMORE AND HARFORD COUNTIES 































































Maryland Geological Survey 


217 


with water pumped from the opening. It occurs in the volcanics, 
but limestone outcrops in the small valley east of the bank. The 
following analyses were made of ore from this opening: 1 

PARTIAL ANALYSES OF ORE FROM ENSOR ORE BANK. 

Fine Unwashed Ore. 


Fe . 41.41 

P .665 

Lump Ore. 

Fe . 49.552 

P .817 


Grim Ore Bank [46, Plate XXV].—One mile south-southeast 
of Xew Midway ore was worked about thirty years ago on Joseph 
Grim’s land. The opening is just west of the farm house and is 
about 140 by 15 feet and 12 feet deep. An analysis 2 of ore from 
this place is given below. 

PARTIAL ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM GRIM ORE BANK. 


Fe . 38.35 

P . 1.363 


The Bachman Valley region is one of the most promising areas 
in the State for the future development of our iron industry. A 
number of deposits are already known and have been worked for 
some years in this area, notwithstanding the fact that no systematic 
prospecting has ever been done. The prospecting carried on in 
1906 by the Mason & Dixon Mining Company revealed several 
new deposits, showing that the full possibilities of this field have 
not yet been realized. Systematic prospecting along the borders of 
the limestone outcrops would be certain to reveal many deposits 
now unknown. The great drawback at present is the lack of ade¬ 
quate transportation facilities in the valley, and a condition of the 
iron trade which makes the profitable working of small deposits 
somewhat uncertain. With the increasing value of iron ore which 
is bound to come in a few years, the extension of the Bachman 
Valley Branch of the Western Maryland Railroad will be fully 


1 Tenth Census, Vol. XV, p. 258. 

2 Tenth Census, Vol. XV, p. 259. 









218 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


justified and it is safe to predict that the output of the present 
known deposits, together with that of those which active prospecting 
will reveal, will make this area one of the largest producers in the 
State. At the present time there is a ready market for the ores of 
this region at furnaces to which the freight charges run about 
$1.25 per ton, and which pay from 7c. to 7^2C. per unit for the ore. 

Limonites of Baltimore and Harford Counties. 

These deposits geologically considered comprise two groups. The 
first group consists of those deposits occurring at the contact of the 
limestones with the underlying Setter’s quartzite and the overlying 
Wissahickon schist. They are found in both Harford and Balti¬ 
more Counties. The second group consists of deposits occurring in 
the limestones themselves with a covering of Patuxent sand and 
gravel. These are confined to Baltimore County. Detailed geologic 
maps showing the distribution of the rocks of this region are given 
in an article on the Cockeysville marble 1 by Dr. E. B. Mathews and 
Dr. W. J. Miller, and the geologic map of Harford County issued 
by the Maryland Geological Survey. 

The Setter s quartzite is a fine to medium grained, thin bedded, 
white, cream or gray colored quartzite. The beds are separated 
by thin layers of muscovite flakes. Along these bedding planes long 
stretched tourmaline crystals are often found. At times an argil¬ 
laceous upper member is developed which closely resembles the Wis¬ 
sahickon schist and has been called by Dr. Miller a “pseudo-Wis- 
sahickon” schist. The thickness of the Setter’s quartzite is usually 
less than 1,000 feet. It is probably of Cambrian age. 

The Cockeysville marble, as the limestones of this region are 
called, is a highly crystalline rock, consisting both of calcite and 
dolomite layers intimately associated.- On account of their highly 
crystalline character no fossils have been found in these rocks. They 
are regarded as equivalent to the Cambro-Ordovician limestones. 

The Wissahickon schist is a highly crinkled schistose rock con¬ 
sisting of quartz, biotite, garnet and accessory minerals, as ortho- 
clase, staurolite and cyanite. 


i Bull. G. S. A., Vol. 16, pp. 347-66. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


210 


The contact deposits are most numerous in the limestone areas 
of Baltimore County and Harford County in the northern and 
northwestern part, farthest removed from the Coastal Plain. 

Baltimore County. 

Cochran Prospect [50].—A prospect opening was made at the 
contact of the limestone and the Setter’s quartzite on the north side 
of Parker Branch two miles northeast of Jacksonville, but nothing 
was found to warrant further exploitation. The opening was made 
at the corner of Mr. William Cochran’s and Dr. Emory’s properties. 

Wilson Bank [51].—One mile southeast of Phoenix is an old 
opening from which ore is said to have been taken. The place is 
now covered with blocks of flint from a flint opening one hundred 
yards further up the hill slope. It lies at the contact of the lime¬ 
stone and the Setter’s quartzite. The mining was done by Clay 
Wilson, and the ore sent to Ashland. The Ashland furnace shut 
down soon after the bank was opened and consequently little ore 
was taken out. 

Matthews Ore Bank [52].—One and a half miles north of Bos¬ 
ley, on the Matthews farm, ore was formerly worked and sent to 
Baltimore. The openings were made along the east bank of the Gun¬ 
powder Palls. The one shown on the map is 200 by 40 feet and 25 
feet deep. The sides are washed in and no ore exposed, but a 
ravine near by shows yellow clay with lumps of ore embedded in 
it. The deposits occur at the contact of the limestone and the 
Wissahickon schist. 

Windsor Farm Ore Banks [53].—Two ore banks were worked 
on the Windsor farm, two and a half miles north of Bosley, and 
the ore sent to the Ashland furnaces. The banks are each about 
200 by 40 feet and 20 feet deep. Ho ore is now exposed in them. 
They lie at the contact of the limestone and the Wissahickon schist. 

Bosley and Ensor Ore Banks [54],—There are two old openings 
two miles west of Glencoe. The larger one which is 450 by 30 feet 
and 15 to 20 feet deep is on Mr. Webster Bosley’s place. When 


220 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


worked it was owned by the Ashland Iron Company and the ore 
sent to their furnaces. The smaller opening is on Mr. John Ensor’s 
place and was worked on a royalty by the Ashland Company. It 
is about 75 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep. These banks were 
worked over fifty years ago. The deposits are in the schistose 
member of the Setter’s quartzite near the limestone contact. 

Mase Ore Banks [55].—There were two banks on Mr. Albert 
Mase’s farm, two miles northwest of Glencoe, from which the ore 
was sent to Ashland. Both of these openings have since been filled 
* up. One which Mr. Mase said was SO feet deep was located at the 
point where his private road joins the County road. The ore occurs 
at the contact of the limestone and the Setter’s quartzite. 

Geist Ore Bank [56].—Ore was shipped to Ashland from a 
bank on Mr. J. B. Geist’s farm, a half mile east of Emory Grove. 
The property was owned by Mrs. Mary G. Worthington and later 
by the Ashland Company. It was worked until the furnace shut 
down about twenty-five years ago. The ore was hauled to Glyndon 
and there shipped by rail, two carts being used for the hauling. 
The opening is about 350 feet long and runs into the side of the 
hill where it has a depth of 15 feet. The ore was washed at the 
bank. The usual force consisted of six men, four mining and two 
washing. It is a Wissahickon-limestone contact deposit. 

Oregon Ore Banks [57].—The Oregon banks have been exten¬ 
sively worked and four openings made at the points indicated on 
the map. The ore was first used at the Oregon furnace, which was 
located at the banks; and, when it shut down, at the Ashland fur¬ 
naces. 

The opening at the west end of the shanties is about 500 by 50 
feet and 20 feet deep. The sides are covered with wash and no ore 
is now exposed. On the south side the Wissahickon schist is ex¬ 
posed. 

The largest opening which is the last one that was worked is 900 
by 300 feet and over 50 feet deep, but now filled with water. Work 
was stopped here about twenty-five years ago. The mining was 


Maryland Geological Survey 


22 L 


chiefly by open cut work, but some tunneling was done. Along the 
south and west sides Wissahickon schist is exposed. 

The analyses are taken from the Tenth Census, Vol. XV, p. 257. 

PARTIAL ANALYSES OF OEE FBOM OREGON ORE BANKS. 

Washed Ore. 


Fe . 41.62 

P .243 

Lump Ore. 

Fe . 51.90 

P .262 


The ore occurs in the Wissahickon schist at the contact with the 
limestone. The condition of the openings is such that nothing can 
be learned as to the extent of the deposit. 

The Caves Ore Banks [58].—Two openings were made at The 
Caves, two and a half miles northeast of Owings Mills, and the ore 
hauled to Stevenson and shipped to Ashland. The easterly open¬ 
ing is 300 by 150 feet and 20 feet deep, and the westerly 150 by 
100 feet and 6 feet deep. Xo ore is now exposed. It lies at the 
contact of the limestone and the Wissahickon schist. 

Cross Ore Bank [59].—There is an opening 500 by 100 feet and 
55 feet deep on Mr. W. I. Cross’ property a half mile northwest of 
Stevenson. The ore was worked by the Ashland Iron Company. 
It occurs at the contact of the limestone and the Wissahickon schist. 
An analysis 1 gave: 

PARTIAL ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM CROSS ORE BANK. 


Fe . 45.91 

P . 0.482 


Ore was worked at three points from two to two and a half 
miles east of Towson along the south side of Mine Bank Bun at 
the contact of the limestone and the Setter’s quartzite. These de¬ 
posits were worked about thirty years ago and the ore sent to Can¬ 
ton. 


i Tenth Census, Vol. XV, p. 257. 









222 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Reddington Ore Bank [60].—This bank occurs a half mile south¬ 
west of Oakleigh on Mr. Patrick Reddington’s land. It is 150 by 
50 feet and filled with water to a depth of 35 feet. 

Von Kapff Ore Bank [61].—Another bank, which has been filled 
up, was worked on Mr. Frederick Von Kapff’s farm, then owned by 
George Smith. This was situated on the west side of a small tribu¬ 
tary of Mine Bank Run about 200 yards west of Oakleigh. 

Rice Ore Bank [62].—The third opening was made on Mr. D. 
H. Rice’s place at Oakleigh. This opening which was 180 by 50 
and 15 feet deep has also been filled up. 

The deposits overlain by the Patuxent formation derived their 
iron content from the iron originally contained in that formation. 
As waters percolated through these loose ferruginous materials, the 
iron was leached out of them. When the iron-bearing solutions 
came into contact with the underlying limestone, their iron con¬ 
tent was precipitated. In this way many pockets of ore have been 
formed under the capping of outliers of the Patuxent formation. 
Deposits of this kind were extensively worked at and to the north¬ 
east of Lutherville and to a small extent in the vicinity of Towson. 

Rider Ore Bank [63].—There is an old bank on Mr. Abraham 
Rider’s place at the south end of Butlerville. It strikes IST. 45° 
W. and is 150 by 50 feet and 25 feet deep. Ko ore is now ex¬ 
posed. The ore was mined on a royalty by the Ashland Iron Com¬ 
pany. 

Ore Bank on East Side of Lutherville [64].—On the Ridgely 
property on the east edge of Lutherville is an irregular opening 
which was worked fifty years ago by the Ridgelys for their fur¬ 
nace two miles to the northeast. It was later worked by the Ash¬ 
land Iron Company on a royalty. 

Ridgely Ore Bank [65].—This bank is on the east side of the 
York Turnpike, one-half mile north of Lutherville, on Mr. John 
Ridgely’s place. It is 250 by 200 feet and 40 feet deep. East of 
it is a smaller opening 125 by 50 feet and 20 feet deep. The gravel 


Maryland Geological Survey 


223 


overburden lias caved in and no ore is exposed. A washer was run 
at this bank supplied with water from a spring to the south. The 
ore was sent to Ashland. 

Herman Ore Bank [66].—One hundred yards southwest of Ti- 
monium Station there is an opening on Mr. Emanuel Herman’s 
place, which is about 25 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. Ho ore 
is now exposed. 

Pot Springs Ore Banks [67-80].—A number of openings known 
as the Pot Springs openings were made northeast of Lutherville. 
These are indicated on the map by numbers corresponding to the 
numbers in the descriptions which follow. The ore from these 
openings went to the Ashland furnaces. Analyses of samples from 
several of these openings are given below. 1 

PARTIAL ANALYSES OF ORE FROM POT SPRINGS ORE BANK. 

Washed Ore. 


Fe. 40.39 38.96 

P.102 .174 

Lump Ore. 

Fe. 54.42 52.72 

P.200 .067 


67. Opening 225 by 40 feet and 10 feet deep. On the east side 
of the Pot Spring road on Mr. Robert Dennison’s property. Some 
ore is still exposed on the sides of the opening. 

68. Two hundred yards east of the blacksmith shop on Mr. 
Dennison’s property. Open cut 350 by 100 feet and 20 feet deep. 
There was also a seventy-foot shaft at the south end. The opening 
is now filled with water. A great many lumps of ore are scattered 
around on the ground and many pots, as the miners called geodal 
lumps of limonite, were obtained from this opening. When worked, 
this deposit was owned by the Ashland Iron Company. 

69. One hundred yards north of Ho. 68 is another bank on the 
same property extending 300 feet in a northeasterly direction with 


i Tenth Census, Vol. XV, p. 255. 







224 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


a maximum width of 200 feet. The depth is about 20 feet. A 
large amount of ore is still exposed in the sides of the opening. 

70. This opening is on Mr. Robert Dennison’s property, one 
mile east of Timonium, on the north side of Spring Branch. It is 
said to have been worked to a depth of over sixty feet. The rela¬ 
tions of the ore to the Patuxent formation are well shown here. 
The ore body rests on the limestone, but extends up into the Pa¬ 
tuxent sands and gravels, making a conglomerate with a matrix of 
limonite. Since the ore was formed by downward moving waters, 
the source of the iron must have been the overlying Patuxent ma¬ 
terials. The analysis of a sample from this bank is given below. 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM DENNISON ORE BANK. 


Fe. 


Si0 2 . 

. 15.72 

AI0O3 . 

. 4.95 

Mn . 


P. 

. 0.22 

S . 

.08 

Ignition . 

. 11.64 


71. One-half mile west of No. 70 is another deposit on the 
same property which when worked was owned by John Talbot. It 
is 100 by 20 feet and 10 feet deep. 

72. Half a mile east of Timonium on the south side of the road 
on Mr. Charles (?) McCormick’s place is an opening 400 feet long 
striking northeast. The northeast end is a circular opening 100 
feet in diameter and 20 feet deep, and tapers off to the southwest. 
Ore is exposed here associated with a yellow earthy clay. 

73. Nearly a half mile southeast of No. 72 is another opening 
on the same property striking N. 70° E. for 325 feet, 100 feet 
wide and 15 feet deep. 

74. East of No. 73 is another opening on the same property 
200 by 75 feet and 25 feet deep. 

75. Less than 100 yards northeast of No. 74 is an opening 
400 feet long, 50 to 100 feet wide and 25 feet deep. The property 
is now owned by Mr. Francis Homer. 

76. Seventy-five feet east of No. 75 is an opening 75 by 20 feet 
and 10 feet deep. This is also on Mr. Homer’s place. 









Maryland Geological Survey 


225 


77. On the south side of the road one mile east of Timonium 
on the same property is an opening 50 feet in diameter and 15 
feet deep. 

78. One hundred yards east of No. 77 is another opening on 
Mr. Homer’s property, 100 by 40 feet and 15 feet deep. 

79. A mile and a half east of Timonium is an opening on Mr. 
John Ridgely’s place. It is an irregular opening 200 feet wide, 300 
feet long and 20 feet deep. 

In the woods between this bank and the York Turnpike are a 
number of small openings. 

80. On Mr. Otho Ridgely’s farm, two miles east of Timonium, 
and a half mile northwest of the old furnace site on this farm, is 
an opening striking N. 20° E., 100 yards long, 30 feet wide and 
15 feet deep. 

Minebank [81].-—One mile east of Towson on the north side 
of Mine Bank Run on Mr. Patrick Reddington’s property is a bank 
which was worked about thirty years ago and the ore sent to Can¬ 
ton. Eight or nine men were employed in mining. The ore sold for 
from $6.00 to $8.00 per ton, and later dropped to $4.00. The over¬ 
burden is from four to ten feet. The opening extends for a dis¬ 
tance of 600 feet along the Run and widens out to 150 feet at the 
east end. Its depth is about 20 feet. In the sides of the opening 
are orange-yellow clays, containing lumps of ore, and in some of 
the small ravines emptying into the Run are exposures of ore, show¬ 
ing that the ore body extends beyond the limits of the present open¬ 
ing. 

Chew Ore Bank [82].—An ore deposit was worked on Mr. Henry 
B. Chew’s property, quarter of a mile north of Towson, on the east 
side of the Dulany Valley Turnpike. The opening is 250 by 50 
feet and 20 feet deep. The sides are washed in and no ore is now 
exposed. 


Harford County. 

Hope Ore Bank [47].—The Hope ore bank is situated two miles 
southwest of Jarrettsville on Mr. Charles Schuster’s place. The 


226 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


ore body occurs at the contact of the Setter’s quartzite and the Wis- 
sahickon schist, the limestone being absent here. It has been worked 
along the contact for a distance of 650 feet with a width of 100 
feet. The opening is filled with water so that its depth could not 
be determined. ISTo ore in place is exposed but considerable ore 

is scattered around the opening and an analysis of a sample ob¬ 

tained here showed a good grade. 

ANALYSIS OF OKE FROM HOPE ORE BANK. 

Fe . 51.57 

Si0 2 . 12.59 

A1 2 0 3 . 2.51 

Mn.Little. 

P . 01 

g . ^3 

Ignition . 10.911 

The ore was used at the LeGrange furnace near Rocks on the 
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad. 

Sccirff Ore Bank [48],—On Mr. James Scarff’s farm, a quarter 
of a mile south of the Hope ore bank, is a small opening which was 
worked at the same time. It is 200 by 30 feet and 6 feet deep. 
The ore occurs in the Wissahickon schist about 500 feet east of the 
contact with the Setter’s quartzite. 

Tolley Ore Bank [49, Plate XVIII].—A large amount of ore was 
taken from Judge E. Carvil Tolley’s place a half mile north of 
Hess. The bank was opened by the operators of the Sarah furnace, 
and the ore sent to their furnace two miles southwest of Jarretts- 
ville. It w r as worked from about 1840 to 1865. Eight to ten teams 
were employed in hauling the ore. After lying idle for some yeai’s, 
it was again worked by Dennis Lynch on a royalty of 50c. per ton, 
and the ore sent to Ashland. The main opening strikes X. 45° E. 
and is 750 by 100 feet. It is filled with water to within 15 feet 
of the top. About one hundred feet to the southwest of this open¬ 
ing is a smaller one 100 by 40 feet and 8 feet deep. 

The ore is a limonite occurring chiefly in small lumps. While 
the ore body is situated within the limestone, the iron has in all 
probability been derived from overlying formations which have 









Maryland Geological Survey 


227 


since been eroded. Ore is still exposed in the sides of the bank and 
from all indications there is still considerable ore that could be 
mined. The composition of the ore is shown by the analysis given 
below. 


ANALYSIS OF OEE FROM TOLLEY ORE BANK. 


Fe. 

Si0 2 ... 
AI 0 O 3 • • 
Mn .... 

P . 

S . 

Ignition 


54.02 

3.44 

3.45 
Trace. 

.33 

.12 

13.74 


THE BOG IRON ORES. 

Bog-iron ore, or as it is also called, swamp-ore and meadow-ore, 
is yellowish, brownish, or blackish limonite with resinous lustre on 
fresh fracture. It is always very porous and cavernous, often slag¬ 
like and hard; but also ochrous, loose, and earthy. It is usually 
mingled with many other substances, among which are hydrated 
iron silicates, iron phosphates, crenates, ulmates, and humates. The 
iron contact varies from 20 per cent, to 60 per cent., and phosphorus, 
which is always high in these ores, may rise to 10 per cent. Me- 
chanical admixtures of sand and clay may become so great as to 
make the ore of very low grade. 

The Formation of Bog Iron Ores. 

These ores have been worked since the earliest period known, 
but are of little importance to the iron industry at present. Their 
chief interest today lies in the fact that they are now forming, and 
at such a rate as to be observable. Deposits which were once ex¬ 
hausted are again workable after an interval of a few years. A 
study of the formation of these deposits consequently gives valua¬ 
ble information bearing upon the genesis of iron ores in general. 

The deposition of the ore takes place where surface water stag¬ 
nates in shallow depressions of flat lands, especially along sluggish 
streams whose waters are colored brown by dissolved humus acids 









228 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


or humus salts. The source of the iron which these waters carry in 
solution, and how its precipitation is brought about, are considered 
at length in the discussion of the origin of the carbonate ores of the 
Coal Measures on pages 248 to 253, and hence need not be gone into 
here. 


The Bog Iron Ores in Maryland. 

The very low relief of the Eastern Shore gives rise to a very 
sluggish stream-flow through long stretches of marsh land contain¬ 
ing abundant vegetation. These are ideal conditions for the forma¬ 
tion of bog iron ores. There is, however, one other very essential 
factor in the accumulation of large deposits, and, that is, an abun¬ 
dant source of iron. If the streams were heavily charged with fer¬ 
riferous salts, their iron content would be precipitated and large 
deposits formed. Unfortunately the streams of the Eastern Shore 
head in the same deposits through which they flow and hence do not 
become heavily charged with iron salts. If they headed in a region 
of rocks containing iron-bearing minerals, it would be otherwise, 
since the soluble iron salts formed in the processes of weathering of 
these rocks would find their way to the streams and then be pre¬ 
cipitated in the swamps through which the streams flowed further 
down in their course. On the Western Shore, the streams have 
their source in such a region, but there the fall from the Piedmont 
to tidewater is much more rapid and conditions are not nearly so 
favorable for the precipitation of their iron content in the form of 
bog ores. 

The above is undoubtedly the reason why the bog ores have never 
been of any importance in the iron industry of the State, and not 
because they have been overlooked. In the diligent search that 
was made for ores of iron in the early days, the possibilities of the 
bog ores were not overlooked, as there are a number of references 
to them in the early literature. Ducatel 1 mentions several occur¬ 
rences. Specimens of bog ore of good quality had been obtained at 
that time on the place of Levy Wroth at the head of a branch of 


i Ducatel: Annual Report of the State Geologist of Maryland, 1837, p. 19. 



MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XIX. 



LOCATION AT WHICH BOG IRON ORE HAS BEEN MINED IN SOUTHEASTERN MARYLAND 











































































Maryland Geological Survey 


229 


Worton Creek. The same authority also states that bog ore of good 
quality occurs on Henry Fisher’s farm at the head of the Sassa¬ 
fras River, where the color of the water seemed to indicate a large 
quantity; and on the farm of a Mr. Lockwood near Warwick, 
where specimens were found with a specific gravity of 2.50 to 3.00. 
Three years later, in 1S40, Alexander 1 speaks of the bog ores oc¬ 
curring over a portion of Caroline County, the eastern part of Dor¬ 
chester, and part of Somerset and Worcester counties. The in¬ 
evitable conclusion, therefore, is that the deposits do not occur in 
sufficiently large quantities to have made it profitable to work them 
to any extent even at that date. In the first half of the nineteenth 
century bog ores were worked at several localities, and five miles 
northwest of Snow Hill a furnace was erected which ran exclusively 
on these ores. But the inadequate supply, and the high phosphor¬ 
ous content soon caused these deposits to be abandoned, and since 
that time no attention has been paid to these ores. 


Caroline County. 

Smithville [83].—About a century ago, there was a bloomery on 
Marshyhope Creek, one mile southwest of Smithville, for which bog 
ores obtained along the creek were used. Ho details in regard to the 
occurrence of the ore or the quantity that was mined are known. 

Federalsburg [84].—Bog ore was mined at Federalsburg by Eg¬ 
gleston Brown from 1835 to 1845. It was transported in barges 
down Marshyhope Creek to tidewater, and shipped to Baltimore. 
Mr. W. J. Mobray states that the venture was little more than an 
experiment, and that operations were not continuous during the ten 
years. The ore finally turned out to be too low grade to be mined 
with profit. It was obtained from the low flat on the west side of 
the creek in Federalsburg back as far as the hill on the west edge of 
the town, especially at the south end, where the railroad tracks now 
are. Three to four feet of soil had to be removed to get at the ore. 


i Alexander: Amer. Jour, of Science, Yol. 27, Series I, p. 7. 



230 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Dorchester County. 

Williamsburg [85].—One mile northwest of Williamsburg, Eg¬ 
gleston Brown also' mined a little ore at the same time that he worked 
at Federalsburg. This was on a branch of Marshyhope Creek at what 
is known as the “Yellow Bridge.” As the ore had to be hauled three 
miles to Federalsburg and the deposit was not especially promising, 
it was soon abandoned. 


Wicomico County. 

Powellsville [86].—One mile above the mill pond at Powellsville 
along the creek, Mr. Geo. W. Parsons, of Parsonsburg, obtained 
a small quantity of bog ore to' experiment on some years ago, which 
he reduced in a cupola. He found the ore to be of low grade, as it 
yielded a great deal of slag, and the iron was extremely brittle. He 
said the ore occurred only a few inches below the surface, but to what 
thickness he did not know, as he merely stripped off the uppermost 
portion, leaving a layer of ore below. 

Barren Creelc [87],—xHexander 1 states that bog ores occur in 
great abundance on Barren Creek, and as they are found to be ad¬ 
vantageously used with other ores of iron, they are sent to Baltimore 
and other places to be thus employed. The Barren Creek Springs 
which yield chalybeate waters were said to have been at one time 
much frequented, but were already neglected in 1840. The “great 
abundance” of these deposits must have consisted in a wide distribu¬ 
tion along the creek rather than in their quantity, as no further 
mention is made of these deposits in later years. 

Worcester County. 

Snow Hill [88].—The locality at which the bog ores have been 
most extensively mined is along ISTassawango Creek, five miles north¬ 
west of Snow Hill. A furnace built here in 1830 operated irregu¬ 
larly until about 1850, producing as high as 700 tons of pig iron per 


i Amer. Jour, of Science, Vol. 27, Series I, p. 7. 



Maryland Geological Survey 231 

year, so that during that period a large amount of ore was obtained. 
The ore was mined in the marshes along the stream above the fur¬ 
nace for a distance of a mile or more, and is known to extend two 
or three miles further up stream. I was very kindly assisted in pro¬ 
curing a sample of the ore by Mr. D. M. West. The field work 
showed that it does not occur as a continuous bed over the whole 
area, but in patches. Below a covering of a foot or more of black 
loamy soil, the ore occurred as a crust from six to eight inches thick. 
Perfectly fresh looking specimens had a cellular texture and were 
quite hard. They showed an irregular fracture with a dark shiny 
surface. The analysis given below "was made from a sample of such 
ore. 


ANALYSIS OF HARD BOG ORE NEAR SNOW HILL.l 


Fe . 

. 51.41 

SiOo . 

. 4.86 

AI 9 O 3 . 

.92 

CaO. 

.18 

Mn. 

. 0.02 

P . 

.685 

S . 


Ignition . 

. 19.74 


The high loss on ignition would seem to indicate a composition 
of the iron hydrate corresponding to Xantliosiderite, that is, FeoOs- 
2 H 2 O instead of 2Fe20s. 3 H 2 O, the composition of limonite. This 
is not surprising as the conditions under which the ore is formed 
are favorable to the highest possible hydration. 

This ore graded over to another type which is soft and very rusty 
looking. As the former type on exposure weathers to the latter, it 
is no doubt largely an altered form of the former which has sub¬ 
sequently been leached by descending atmospheric waters. . Further 
confirmation of this explanation is found in the fact that the fresh¬ 
est looking ore occurred in the wettest places, that is, where it was 
protected from atmospheric agencies. 


1 Analysis by Penniman and Browne. 











232 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


LIMONITE IN GABBRO AREAS. 

The gabbro is perhaps the oldest intrusive igneous rock in the 
Piedmont. It occurs in three main areas in the State,—the Stony 
.Forest area of Harford and Cecil Counties; a great belt or sheet 
which extends from north of Conowingo, on the Susquehanna River, 
in a south-southwest direction to Baltimore City; and the irregu¬ 
lar intrusive area which is mainly developed to the west of Balti¬ 
more and extends as far south as Laurel. 

The unaltered gabbro is a massive, heavy, and dark colored rock, 
which contains a high percentage of iron. On weathering it 
changes to a characteristic deep reddish-brown color due to its high 
iron content. The residual soil formed has that same color, and is 
unusually rich in iron, frequently containing lumps of limonite. 
So far as known, it has been attempted to work this residual prod¬ 
uct at only one point. In 1882, a Mr. Greider, a contractor on the 
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, who was doing the grading 
near Roland Park, attempted to open an ore bank at what is now 
the northeast corner of Oakdale and Forrest Avenues. The opera¬ 
tions were carried on for only a few months. Ho workable body 
of ore of this character has been discovered, nor is it likely that 
any will be found. 


The Carbonates. 

THE CARBONATES OF THE COAL MEASURES. 

The carbonate ores of the Appalachian region occur in the Coal 
Measures, or the rocks of the Pennsylvanian period as they are 
now called. These ores occur in two varieties known as “clay iron¬ 
stone” and “blackband.” They are almost always present in the 
Carboniferous rocks when these rocks contain coal seams. 

These ores have had their chief development in some of the Eu¬ 
ropean coal basins and especially in those of Great Britain. The 
principal areas in Great Britain are those of South Wales and 
Scotland. In 1880 the production of these ores in South Wales was 
170,000 tons. In 1881 Scotland produced over 2,500,000 tons, about 


Maryland Geological Survey 


233 


equally divided between blackband and clay ironstone. In 1894 the 
output in Scotland had dropped to a little over a half million tons. 

In the United States these ores were formerly worked to some 
extent. The chief producing States were Pennsylvania, Ohio, West 
Virginia, and Kentucky. In 1880 the output reached nearly 850,- 
000 tons. Since then they have steadily declined in importance, 
until today they are practically abandoned in the United States; 
Ohio with an annual output of 20,000 tons being the only producer. 



Distribution of the Coal Measures in Maryland. 1 

The Coal Measures in Maryland occur in the western part of 
Allegany County and in Garrett County in five basins or synclines 
known as the George’s Creek basin, the Upper Potomac basin, the 

i See Allegany and Garrett County Reports and Coal Report of the Mary¬ 
land Geological Survey. 














234 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Castleman basin, the Lower Youghiogheny basin, and the Upper 
Youghiogheny basin. The greater portion of the first of these 
basins lies in Allegany County and the other four in Garrett 
County. 


Stratigraphy of the Maryland Goal Measures. 

The Coal Measures of Maryland embrace five formations which 
are grouped into two periods, as follows: 


Permian Period: 

Dunkard . 300' 

Pennsylvania Period: 

Monongahela . 240-270' 

Conemaugh. 600-700' 

Allegheny. 260-350' 

Pottsville . 325-380’ 


The important ore horizons are confined to the Allegheny, Cone¬ 
maugh and Monongahela formations. The Allegheny formation 
consists mainly of irregularly interbedded shales and sandstones; 
the Conemaugh formation consists largely of shales, but has mas¬ 
sive sandstone strata near the top and near the bottom; the Monon¬ 
gahela formation is even more largely composed of shales and the 
sandstones rarely become massive enough to form noticeable topo¬ 
graphic features. The ore beds have been found at a number of 
horizons in these strata. The section (Figure 7) taken from the 
Coal Report of the Maryland Geological Survey, page 243, gives 
a general idea of the character of the formations and will be found 
useful to refer to as the different ore localities are described fur¬ 
ther on. 


Description of the Ores. 

These ores are divided into two varieties known as blackband and 
clay ironstone, according as they contain or lack bituminous matter. 

Blackband Ore. —Blackband ore consists chiefly of carbonate of 
iron with more or less earthy and bituminous matter. It occurs 
in beds of varying thickness, but never exceeding more than a few 







Maryland Geological Survey 


235 


FORMATIONS. 


COAL SEAMS. 


Dunkard 


390 + feet 


Monongahela 

240-270 feet 


Conemaugh 

600-700 feet 


Allegheny 

260-350 feet 


Pottsville 

325-380 feet 


Seale : 1 Inch = 300 feet. 




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Jolly town coal 2 feet 


Washington coal 3% feet 

Waynesburg “A” coal 2 feet 

Waynesburg or Ivoontz coal 3 to 6 
feet 

Union town coal 

Upper Sewickley or Tyson coal 6 feet 
Lower Sewickley coal 2 % feet 
Redstone coal 4 feet 

Pittsburg, Elkgarden or “Big Vein” 
coal 14 feet 

Little Pittsburg coal 2 feet 
2d Little Pittsburg coal 1 foot 

Franklin or Little Clarksburg coal 9 
feet 

Lonaconing coal 2 feet 
Elklick coal 1 foot 

Friendsville, Ames or Crinoidal coal 
2 feet 

Haynadier coal 2 to 3 feet 

Bakerstown or Barton coal 2 to 5 feet 
Grantsville coal 3 feet 


Brush Creek or Masontown coal 2 feet 

Mahoning coal 2 feet 

Upper Freeport or Thomas coal 3 
to 6 feet 

Lower Freeport coal 2% feet 


Upper Kittanning coal 1 to 3% feet 

Middle and Lower Kittanning, Davis, 
or “Six-foot” coal 6 feet 
“Split-six” coal 3 to 4 feet 


Clarion or Parker coal 2^ feet 
Brookville or Bluebaugh coal 3 to 6 
feet 

Mt. Savage or Upper Mercer coal 3 ft. 
Lower Mercer coal 1 foot 

Quakertown or Bloomington coal 2 ft. 


Sharon coal 1 foot 


FIG. 7.-GENERALIZED SECTION SHOWING MARYLAND COAL SEAMS 
























































236 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


feet, and is almost always associated with coal seams. At times a 
coal seam will grade into such ore. These ores usually run about 21 
per cent, to 38 per cent. Fe. Before being used in the blast fur¬ 
nace they are roasted. They contain such an abundance of car¬ 
bonaceous matter that they burn in the roasting furnaces without 
the addition of fuel and the residue contains from 50 per cent, to 70 
per cent. Fe. The blackband ores are of no importance in Mary¬ 
land and apparently have never been mined. 

Clay Ironstone. —This ore contains considerable clay and earthy 
matter and occurs as isolated masses of concretionary origin which 
sometimes coalesce to form continuous beds of considerable extent. 
Fossils often form the nucleus of the concretions. On account of 
the presence of the earthy matter and the absence of carbonaceous 
matter, the nodules are of a drab color. They occur in the shales 
of the Coal Measures and are very irregular in their thickness and 
extent. On the weathering of the shales the concretions are con¬ 
centrated at the surface, and as these surface concentrations are ex¬ 
posed to weathering they alter to limonite. A large part of the 
ore that has been mined from these horizons in Maryland consisted 
of such altered ore. The following analyses of clay ironstone ores, 
one from Allegany County and one from Garrett County, show a 
fairly uniform composition: 

ANALYSES OF CLAY IRONSTONE. 


Garrett County, 4 miles west of 
Krug. 


Pe . 34.58 

SiOo . 13.78 

A1o0 3 . 4.29 

Mn. 1.36 

P. 

S .49 

Ignition . 24.11 


Allegany County, northwest of 
Mt. Savage. 


Pe . 36.05 

SiOo . 13.53 

A1o0 3 . 6.47 

Mn.94 

P.08 

S .42 

Ignition . 25.02 
















Maryland Geological Survey 


237 


The mean of thirteen analyses of carbonate ores from Allegany 
County gives an average iron content of 34.96 per cent. 1 

When these ores were mined they were usually roasted before 
being put in the furnace so that the ores ran about 47 per cent. Fe. 
and were practically free from sulphur. While the phosphorus is 
usually quite low, it is nearly always above the Bessemer limit. 


The Occurrence of the Ores. 

Ore has been mined in all four formations of the Pennsylvanian, 
but that of the Pottsville is of little importance. 

Pottsville Ores. —On the north side of Bear Creek, one mile 
southeast of Friendsville, Garrett County, ore was mined in a black 
shale underlying the Homewood sandstone. This seems to have 
been a purely local development as no ores have been mined at this 
horizon in any other locality. 

Allegheny Ores. —A section of the Allegheny formation near 
Westernport 2 shows a two-foot bed of shales with nodular iron ore 
about 125 feet above its base. The ores of the Allegheny formation 
do not seem to be of much importance in Allegany County and 
have been mined at only one point. 3 A large tunnel intended to 
reach the Mount Savage fire-clay on the east side of Savage Moun¬ 
tain between the Mational Road and the Savage Mountain Fire Clay 
Mine cut through a bed of clay ironstone in the shales between the 
Clarion coal and the overlying Clarion sandstone and considerable 
ore was taken out. 

In Garrett County, in the Lower Youghiogheny region, the Al¬ 
legheny ores are of more importance and have been mined about a 
mile south of Fearer and on the hill on the east side of the Youghio¬ 
gheny River half way between Friendsville and Elder. In the rail- 

1 Alexander: Report on Manufacture of Iron, 1840, p. 108. 

2 Bulletin No. 65, U. S. G. S., p. 186. 

3 Garrett County Report, Md. G. S., p. 229. 



238 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


road cut three-quarters of a mile north of Krug is an exposure show¬ 
ing the following sequence: 

Sandstone, 

Shale 10', 

“Split-six” coal. 

In the lower six feet of the shale are nodules of clay ironstone 
of various sizes hut averaging about the size of a walnut. In one 
bed about six inches thick and one foot above the coal the nodules 
are very numerous. This same ore is exposed on the opposite side 
of the river. It is again exposed at the coal prospect on Laurel 
run south of Krug, where the nodules are considerably larger; and 
in a prospect-trench cut by the Western Maryland Coal and Coke 
Company, half a mile further up the river. About half a mile 
southwest of Swallow Falls, in a branch of Toliver Run, there is 
an exposure of shale which for about eighteen inches contains iron 
ore nodules. 

Conemaugii Ores. —Beds of iron ore are found at a great many 
horizons in the Conemaugii formation and have been worked at a 
number of places. A detailed section of this formation near Lona- 
coning, measured in the ’60’s by Professor P. T. Tyson, shows 
twenty-six horizons at which ore occurs. This section was meas¬ 
ured on the east side of Dug Hill, the hill having received its name 
from the excavations made for these measurements on Laurel Run 
and Mill Run. This section is given below as it is of considera¬ 
ble value on account of the detail with which the iron ore occur¬ 
rences have been noted. 


SECTION OF CONEMATJGH FORMATION SHOWING IRON ORE HORIZONS, NEAR I.ONA- 

CONING, MD.l 


Feet. Inches. 


“Big Vein” coal (from Dug Hill measurements) 


Shale, with iron ore at the top. 12 

Fire-clay. 3 

Limestone . 1 t> 

Shale . 15 6 

Sandstone, fine grained. 29 

Shale. 27 « 


i Taken by Philip T. Tyson, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., XI, 1871, pp. 9-13; 
cf. Allegany County Report, Md. G. S., p. 120. 










Maryland Geological Survey 


230 


Coal. 

Shale. 

Shale, with iron ore at the top. 

Shale, ferruginous. 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Shale, with three bands of iron ore . 

Fire-clay with iron ore. 

Shale . 

Coal . 

Shale, with iron ore . 

Fire-clay, with iron ore nodules. 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Fire-clay, with two bands of iron ore . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, with four bands of iron ore . 

Shale, with two bands of iron ore nodules 

Iron ore . 

Shale, with iron ore . 

Coal . 

Shale, with iron ore . 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Coaly shale. 

Shale, with iron ore . 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Fire-clay, with iron ore . 

Shale, with iron ore . 

Shale, ferruginous. 

Iron ore . 

Coal . 

Shaly sandstone. 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Limestone . 

Fire-clay. 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Shale, ferruginous. 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Shale, brown. 

Shale, arenaceous and nodular. 

Shaly sandstone. 

Shale. 

Coal . 

Fire-clay. 

Shale, ferruginous. 

Shale, with nodules. 


Feet. Inches. 


2 

4 

16 

1 

3 

1 

1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

1 

2 

5 
1 

6 
6 

4 


1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

4 

2 

1 

2 

4 
2 
3 

3 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

' 1 
1 
2 

5 
8 

4 
1 
7 

5 
7 


6 

8 

9 


6 

6 

7 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 
«> 
• * 

6 

6 

6 

3 

2 

1 

6 

8 

10 

6 

6 

3 

6 

6 

6 

8 

6 

6 


3 

V 

U 

6 

6 

6 

8 


6 

6 

4 




























































240 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Feet. Inches. 

Shale, ferruginous. 2 

Shale. 1 

Sandstone . 39 

Shale. 15 

Fire-clay, with iron ore . 3 

Limestone . 6 

Fire-clay, with iron ore . 2 

Shale. 10 

Sandstone (from measurements on Laurel Run). 44 

Coal . .. 8 

Shale . .. 10 

Limestone . 2 2 

Sandstone . 23 6 

Shale. 6 

Hard black band. 6 

Shale, very ferruginous. 6 

Shale (from measurements on Mill Run). 4 6 

Coal, shaly, hard, good. 5 8 

Fire-clay, sandy. 4 

Ore in shaly fire-clay. 6 

Limestone . 6 

Sandstone . 33 

Shale. 9 6 

Fossiliferous ferruginous shale.... 11 


Total thickness of strata now considered as Conemaugh. 495 0 


A bed of ore under the Brush Creek coal at about the horizon 
of the Mahoning coal was worked at a number of points near Mount 
Savage. This ore occurred in balls and also in seams of limited 
extent in a bed of fire-clay about two and a half feet thick. Three- 
quarters of a mile south of Barton a gray shale is exposed in the 
roadside which for a distance of about 200 feet contains thin beds 
of limonite. Six beds are exposed running from two to three inches 
in thickness to one bed reaching one foot in thickness. The limo¬ 
nite occurs in the form of concretions which are usually hollow in¬ 
side. This is doubtless the weathered outcrop of bands of clay iron¬ 
stone nodules, and a short distance below the surface would be found 
to grade into' the latter. Two miles northwest of Lonaconing ore 
was worked in a twenty-foot bed of fire-clay which lies about fifty 
feet above the Bakerstown coal. Several beds of ore near the top 
of the Conemaugh were worked in the vicinity of Lonaconing, espe¬ 
cially along the hillside west of George’s Creek. 

In Garrett County ore was mined in the Lower Youghiogheny 
area from the lower part of the Conemaugh. At the east end of 
Friendsville, on the north side of Bear Creek, ore occurs above the 






























78*50 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XX. 


0)0 
CO * 



0)0 

(O^ 


LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN GARRETT AND ALLEGANY COUNTIES 












































































































































Maryland Geological Survey 


241 


Mahoning coal. Another bed of ore was worked a quarter of a 
mile north of Friendsville on the west bank of the Youghiogheny 
River. This ore occurs above the Brush Creek coal. There is also 
a bed of ore above a heavy conglomeratic sandstone, probably the 
Upper Mahoning sandstone, which was worked near the Garrett 
County line southwest of Friendsville. This bed seems to be quite 
persistent in this neighborhood, as limonite concretions and lumps 
are found at many points where the stratum outcrops. 

Monongaiiela Ores. —The ores of this formation in the George’s 
Creek Valley were the most important of the Carboniferous ores. 
The workable beds occur in the lower part of the formation about 
fifty to a hundred feet above the Pittsburg coal. They were worked 
at several points west and southwest of Frostburg, near Vale Sum¬ 
mit, at Miller and southwest of Koontz. The ore occurs in a shale 
and the thickness of the bed varies from eighteen inches to four 
feet. A large part of this ore that was mined consisted of surface 
concentrations of the outcrop and was to a great extent altered to 
limonite. 

Extent of Development. 

All of the carbonate ores with the exception of one locality, near 
Friendsville, where Pottsville ore was worked, came from the Al¬ 
legheny, Conemaugh and Monongahela formations. Although beds 
of carbonate ore are co-extensive with these formations, it seems that 
they occurred in sufficient quantities to be worked in only two of 
the five coal basins of Maryland—the Lower Youghiogheny basin 
and the George’s Creek basin. 

Garrett and Allegany Counties. 

The ores in the Lower Youghiogheny area were worked in the 
early part of the last century and used in a furnace built east of 
Friendsville about 1828. This furnace was abandoned in 1831, 
and since then no ore has been mined in this region. 

The ores in the George’s Creek basin were first worked about 
1830, and continued to be used until about 1S80. The first furnace 
erected in this region was that at Lonaconing in 1837. This was 
built for the George’s Creek Coal and Iron Company and was fol- 


242 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


lowed soon after by one at Mount Savage, which was built in 1840 
for the Mount Savage Iron Company. A few years later another 
furnace was built at Mount Savage alongside the former. In 1846 
the Lena furnace was built at Cumberland. This furnace, how¬ 
ever, was chiefly run on Clinton ore and limonite. After the Civil 
War, the Bowery furnace was built at Midlothian by the Cumber¬ 
land Coal and Iron Company. 

The following is a description of the localities at which ore has 
been worked in the Lower Youghiogheny region: 

Ed. Friend Deposit [89].—Ore was mined on Ed. Friend’s place 
on the west bank of the Youghiogheny River a quarter of a mile 
north of Friendsville. About five hundred feet west of where Bear 
Creek enters the river and on the north side of the private road, 
a band of ore is exposed in a bed of gray shale which is overlain 
by a six-foot bed of sandstone. The ore consists of nodules of clay 
ironstone weathering on the surface into shells of limonite. The 
nodules range in size from very small up to one foot in diameter. 
Above the sandstone bed are interbedded sandstones and shales the 
upper part of which is concealed. About fifty feet above the sand¬ 
stone thin black shales are exposed. Between these black shales 
and the sandstone, ore has been stripped from this exposure for a 
distance of about five hundred feet to the east. There was also a 
drift put in here but that has caved in. The ore occurs in the 
Conemaugh formation above the Brush Creek Coal. 

Deposit East of Friendsville [90].—Ore was obtained by strip¬ 
ping on the north side of Bear Creek at the eastern edge of Friends¬ 
ville. It occurs above a thin-bedded sandstone showing a thick¬ 
ness of over twenty feet and containing a two-foot coal seam, which 
is the Mahoning coal. 

Deposit near Friendsville Furnace [91].—On the north side of 
the Bear Creek road, about a quarter of a mile east of the Friends¬ 
ville furnace, ore was stripped for a distance of a hundred yards 
or more. This ore occurs in a black shale under the Homewood 
sandstone which forms the summit of the Pottsville formation. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


243 


Coddington Deposit [92].—Ore was stripped on Mrs. Mary A. 
Coddington’s place on the west side of the road to Elder, a mile 
and a half southeast of Friendsville. According to Alexander and 
Ducatel, 1 the ore rests upon sandstone and is covered hv a stratum 
of calcareous marl. ‘“The ore, promiscuously extracted from the 
bed, has been found to smelt by itself.” 

It seems that ore was obtained from other points on Winding 
Ridge, the localities of which are no longer known. These are 
Allegheny ores. 

Taylor Friend Deposit [93].—Ore was obtained by stripping 
from Taylor Friend’s place, one mile south of Fearer. There is no 
longer any evidence as to the exact location of the place from which 
the ore wos obtained. 

Falhner Deposit [94].—One of the most important sources of ore 
for the Friendsville furnace was at Keeler Glade. This is situated 
at the southeast end of Fairfield Hill on Samuel Falkner’s place. 
This same bed seems to retain its importance for some distance to 
the north as along the dotted line on the map a great deal of limo- 
nite is ploughed up. The ore was obtained both by stripping and 
underground work, an extensive drift having been put in here. The 
ore occurs in a shale overlving a massive conglomeratic sandstone 

«y O O 

over twenty feet thick which is the Upper Mahoning sandstone of 
the Conemaugh formation. A sample of the ore taken from nodules 
on the dump pile shows the following analysis: 

ANALYSIS OF OKE FROM FALKNEB DEPOSIT. 


Fe . 34.58 

SiOo . 13.78 

A]o0 3 . 4.29 

Mn . 1.36 

P . 

S .49 

Ignition . 24.11 


The ores of the George’s Greek Basin were worked at several points 
as indicated in the following pages: 

i Alexander and Ducatel: Report on the Projected Survey of the State of 
Maryland, 1834, p. 34. 










244 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Mount Savage Area. —Ore was worked on the west side of 
Mount Savage and to the northwest by the Mt. Savage Iron Com¬ 
pany, now the Union Mining Company, and smelted at their fur¬ 
nace at Mt. Savage. The ore came from the Conemaugh formation, 
probably from between the Mahoning coal and the Brush Creek 
coal. 

Ridgeley Deposit [95].—Ore was mined on the hill west of Mt. 
Savage known as It id ge ley. This locality was worked for several 
years, about 1845-50, and. a number of openings made. The loca¬ 
tions of three of these are shown on the map, one of which is still 
open and goes down with a 20° incline. The sites of the openings 
are still marked by dump piles. 

Dutch Hollow Deposit [96].-—An opening was made in one of 
the tributaries on the north side of Dutch Hollow a mile and a half 
west-northwest of Mt. Savage. 

Lower Tunnel Deposit [97].—At the foot of the Mt. Savage 
gravity plane an opening known as the Lower Tunnel Avas made in 
1846 Avhicli was Avorked off and on until 1853. The tunnel is 6 
feet high by 8 feet Avide and nearly half a mile long. It follows 
the bed of ore on a level, and cross-cuts were made on the pitch of 
the ore. The dump pile in front of the opening contains many 
nodules of ore. The nodules frequently have a calcite center and 
many of them are penetrated throughout by veinlets of calcite. A 
sample taken from these nodules sIioavs the folloAving analysis: 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM LOWER TUNNEL DEPOSIT. 

Fe . 36.05 

Si0 2 . 13 53 

A1o6 3 . 6.47 

Mn . .94 

P.OS 

S.42 

Ignition . 25.02 

Upper Tunnel Deposit [98]. —The Upper Tunnel, on Mr. Henry 
Collins’ place, Avas opened about the same time as the Lower Tun¬ 
nel. It runs into the hill about fifty feet until it strikes the ore 









Maryland Geological Survey 


245 


bed and then follows it on a level for about a half mile to the north. 
The ore occurs in nodules, or less commonly in seams of small ex¬ 
tent, in a 2^-foot bed of fire-clay. When worked for ore this tun¬ 
nel extended only a quarter of a mile, but was again worked sev¬ 
eral years ago for fire-clay and extended the rest of the distance. 
It has again been abandoned on account of the high iron content 
of the clay. 

Deposit on Frost Company Tract [99].-—From 1853-5 ore was 
mined on the Frost Company’s land at the western edge of Frost- 
burg. This was the first ore mined in the neighborhood of Frost- 
burg. A great deal of surface stripping was done and four drifts 
made, one a hundred yards long and the others about two hundred 
feet. Cross-cuts were made between the drifts. The thickness of 
the ore bed averaged about eighteen inches and it occurs in the 
Monongahela formation not far from the Pittsburg coal. The ore 
was worked on a royalty of 25c. per ton by George Jeffries and 
his sons, and about five thousand tons of ore were obtained. It was 
shipped to Mt. Savage and sold at prices ranging from $4.50 to 
$5.00 per ton. When the Mt. Savage furnace shut down in 1855 
this tract was abandoned. 

Johnson Field Deposit [100].—The Johnson field is situated one 
mile west of Frostburg. The Old Braddock Road runs through the 
area worked. The ore occurs in a bed four feet thick, about seventy 
feet above the Pittsburg coal. An area of approximately two acres 
was stripped and four drifts with rooms were made, having a length 
of two to three hundred feet. Eight to ten men were employed 
in mining and three teams engaged in hauling. The ore was cleaned 
at the mines by screening. The output of this field was about ten 
thousand tons and the ore was sold to the Mt. Savage Iron Company 
delivered at the furnace for $4.50 to $6.00 per ton. This field was 
worked by George Jeffries, who paid Joseph Johnson a royalty of 
30c. per ton. It was opened in 1861 and worked continuously dur¬ 
ing 1862, and then off and on until 1865 on account of irregularity 
in the running of the furnace. 


246 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


About a half mile east of here on the north side of the Brad- 
dock Road, the Mt. Savage Iron Company itself mined about two 
thousand tons of ore. 

Midlothian Field Deposit [101].—Considerable ore was mined 
by the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company a half mile west of 
Midlothian. This field was worked steadily from 1874 to about 
1S80 aud thousands of tons of ore obtained. Between four and 
five acres were stripped and six drifts about a quarter of a mile 
long with many rooms were put in. The drifts are all caved-in now 
but their sites are marked by dump piles on which there is consid¬ 
erable ore. The ore was taken to the Bowery furnace at Mid¬ 
lothian in tram-cars and washed there before it was smelted. A 
short description of this field is given in volume 15, page 29 of the 
Tenth Census. According to this description the ore occurred in a 
horizontal bed four to five feet thick resting on clay and covered by 
sandy clay and soil. The following analysis is taken from the same 
source: 

PARTIAL ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM MIDLOTHIAN. 


Fe . 44.68 

P.188 


The ore occurs in the Monongahela formation near the Pittsburg 
coal. 

Pompey Smash Deposit [102].—Ore was mined from the Pom- 
pey Smash ore field a half mile south of Vale Summit on the south 
side of the Dans Rock Road. The ore occurs in the Monongahela 
formation not far above the Pittsburg coal. A number of extensive 
drifts were made and considerable stripping done. This field was 
opened before 1848 and worked until 1858, the ore being shipped 
to the Lonaconing furnace. 

Miller Deposit [103],—At the northeast end of the hill over¬ 
looking Miller, between Miller and Ocean, ore was mined from the 
Monongahela formation just above the Pittsburg coal. Several 
large dump piles and a number of trenches mark the site of the 
operations. Two of the trenches run up the side of the hill as if 
they mark the site of caved-in drifts. 




Maryland Geological Survey 


247 


Lonaconing Deposit [104].—A bed of carbonate ore between the 
two beds of the “Dirty-nine,” or Franklin coal, of the Conemaugh 
formation, was worked on the hill-slope back of the Lonaconing 
furnace on the west side of George’s Creek. Several other beds 
below this one and one above it were also worked on the same hill¬ 
side. The ore was won by a series of tunnels into the hill. It 
was a ball ore imbedded in clay and shale. The openings extended 
from Mine 26 southward to Koontz Run and some distance up 
Koontz Run. Many of the old tunnels are now used as cellars by 
the people of the neighborhood. The ore was taken to the furnace 
by a tram-road built for that purpose. 

Deposit East of Lonaconing [105].—Ore was obtained for the 
Lonaconing furnace from the hill on the east side of George’s Creek 
opposite Lonaconing and from Buck Hill. These are all Cone¬ 
maugh ores. An opening was made back of the silk factory and 
another north of this opposite the furnace. Considerable stripping 
was done on the north side of Hill Run about a half mile from 
George’s Creek, and on the north slope of Buck Hill tunnels were 
put in. 

The so-called bog ores which were stripped from the surface near 
the edge of the streams on the west slope of Dans Mountain may 
also be mentioned here. These were probably the weathered out¬ 
crops of clay ironstone bands in the Allegheny formation. They 
never attained any importance. 

Deposit One-Hatf Mile Southwest of Koontz [106].—A half mile 
southwest of Koontz on the hillside south of the road near the Al- 
legany-Garrett County line, ore was stripped from a horizon in 
the Monongahela formation above the Pittsburg coal. 

Tilly Field Deposit [107].—Ore was obtained from two openings 
one mile west of Koontz from what is known as the Tilly field on 
Hugh Weir’s place. The openings are on the east side of a fork of 
Laurel Run. The ore is said to occur in the Conemaugh forma¬ 
tion from forty to fifty feet above the Bakerstown coal and was used 
at the Lonaconing furnace. 


248 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Hansel Deposit [10S].—Two miles west of Lonaconing and 
nearly a mile south of the Tilly field there is an opening on Philip 
Hansel’s place. A tunnel was put in here six feet high and a hun¬ 
dred feet long. The ore was worked for two or three years when 
the shutting down of the Lonaconing furnace caused it to be 
abandoned. It is a nodular clay ironstone in a twenty-inch seam 
of fire-clay which is overlain by shale. This is probably the same 
horizon as that worked at the Tilly field. 

Origin of the Carbonate Ores. 

The carbonate ores of the Coal Measures are a special phase of 
bog iron ores. The conditions of drainage over the area covered by 
these rocks were favorable to widespread deposition of bog ores. 
The presence of decaying vegetable matter in contact with the bog 
ores which were then deposited caused their conversion into a fer¬ 
rous carbonate. When there was sufficient excess of bituminous 
matter blackband ores were formed; under other conditions, the 
clay ironstone resulted. 

During the period when the ores were formed the eastern por¬ 
tion of the United States remained approximately at sea-level. 
The elevation of the continent was not, however, fixed during this 
period, but the continent was subjected to a series of gentle oscil¬ 
lations which now carried it slightly below sea-level and now 
slightly above. That is, the area in which the rocks of the Coal 
Measures were being laid down consisted during most of the time 
of great stretches of shallow basins and swamps into which the 
drainage of the low-lying surrounding areas sluggishly flowed. At 
times the submergence became great enough to do away entirely 
with swamp conditions, and normal marine sediments were formed. 
These conditions were but temporary and swamp conditions were 
soon restored. At other times the entire area was approximately 
at sea-level so that there was a general lack of drainage. Under 
these latter conditions there was practically no erosion, and hence 
the extensive swamp areas were without sedimentation. At such 
times great accumulations of organic matter took place free from 


Maryland Geological Survey 


249 


earthy matter, and these are the conditions under which the coal 
seams of the period were formed. A slight elevation would stimu¬ 
late drainage and set up erosion. The grade of the streams would 
now be such as would enable them to carry fine materials in sus¬ 
pension. These materials would be carried into the drainage areas 
and there intermingled with the accumulating organic matter in 
the form of mud. The water carrying this mud into the basin also 
brought with it in solution salts of iron which were dissolved out 
of the decaying rocks of the land areas. Almost all rocks contain 
iron compounds which, under certain circumstances, are soluble. 
Iron sulphate is formed when iron-bearing sulphides decompose. 
Carbonic acid which is derived from the air and from decaying or¬ 
ganic matter, or even from living animals, attacks various sili¬ 
cates and forms soluble iron carbonates. Decaying organic matter 
with a limited supply of oxygen has the power of reducing ferric 
oxide to ferrous oxide and this in the presence of ammonium and 
certain organic acids occurring in soils forms soluble compounds. 
Thus the accumulation of iron in solution in the drainage basins 
of the period is but the result of the ordinary processes of rock 

It is well known that when waters bearing iron salts in solution 
are brought into stagnant pools and shallow basins, where they are 
subjected to oxidizing influences, the iron is oxidized to the ferric 
condition and precipitated as ferric hydroxide. The presence of 
ammonium humate, a substance which always occurs in swampy 
areas, causes a precipitation of ferric hydrate. Ferric hydrate is 
also precipitated from carbonated solutions when the carbon di¬ 
oxide is removed. This may take place in a number of ways. 
Rise in temperature of the water in the shallow basins, decrease in 
pressure as water from the bottom rises toward the top, or the ab¬ 
sorption of carbon dioxide by plant cells may cause a decrease in 
the amount of carbon dioxide and hence a precipitation of iron. 
Moreover the deposition always takes place in the form of the 
hydroxide, unless air is excluded or decaying organic matter is 
present. In the latter cases ferrous carbonate is precipitated. The 
deposition of iron in this way can be seen at any time in marshes 



250 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


and stagnant pools. The oxidized iron forms an iridescent film or 
scum on the surface of the water which after a time breaks and 
sinks to the bottom. 

The precipitation of ferric hydrate is also part of the life process 
of certain plants. According to Ehrenberg, the algae, especially the 
so-called iron algae Galionella ferraginea, Elirenb., coat their cell 
walls with ferric hydrate and opaline silica. Later Molisch and 
Winogradsky showed that these, and most other supposed algae, 
are ciliated bacteria of different kinds, especially Leptothrix 
ochi'acea. 1 

Recent investigations by O. Aschan 2 lead him to the belief that 
micro-organisms also bring about a precipitation of ferric hydrate. 
A large number of analyses made by him of humus materials 
showed that their chemical composition, if we leave out of con¬ 
sideration the nitrogen, approaches the composition of the carbo¬ 
hydrates of the cellulose, and especially the starch group. Since 
they also occur together with organic compounds containing nitro¬ 
gen, phosphorus, and some sulphur, Aschan considers it probable 
that they can serve as food for lower organisms. As the ferrohu- 
mates are oxidized to ferrihumates, they are in part immediately 
precipitated. The greater portion remains in solution, however, and 
colors the water brown. According to the theory of Aschan, the 
organic portion of these salts is then consumed by micro-organisms, 
and the unused iron oxide is deposited in the immediate vicinity. 
The porous deposit thus formed serves at the same time as a pro¬ 
tection to the organisms, since in its pores they can thrive undis¬ 
turbed. One of the chief arguments in support of this view is 
based on the fact that twenty-one analyses of lake ores and eleven 
of bog ores still showed traces of humus acids. 

It is impossible to say whether the iron was largely precipitated 
as carbonate or as hydrate. The probability is in favor of the 
hydrate. But even if the iron was precipitated as the hydrate, it 

1 W. H. Weed: Amer. Geol., Jan., 1891, pp. 48 to 55. 

2 0. Aschan: Die Bedeutung der wasserloslichen Humustoffe (Humussole) 
fiir die Bildung der See und Sumpferze. Z. f. pr. G. 1907, pp. 56 to 62—Humus 
somnena i de nordiska inlandsvattnan, etc. Finska Vetenslcaps societ. Oefver- 
sikt, September, 1906, pp. 1 to 176. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


251 


would be subjected to a transformation into tbe carbonate. The 
muds that were being deposited at this time, with which the hydrate 
mingled, were highly charged with organic matter. Of these sedi¬ 
ments Professor Rogers 1 says, “the soft argillaceous shales, in the 
midst of which the lenticular ore so frequently presents itself, 
show by their dark colour and included impressions of plants, as 
well as by actual analysis, that they are richly imbued with vegeta¬ 
ble matter. Nor do the nearly white fire-clays, which in many cases 
enclose thick courses of the lenticular ore, form any exception to 
the law; for although, in their present state, they contain little or 
no carbonaceous matter, the marks of innumerable roots of Stig- 
maria, and parts of other plants which everywhere penetrate the 
mass, show that at one time they must have been crowded with 
vegetable remains.” In the presence of this organic matter the 
iron was again reduced to the ferrous condition and, combining with 
the carbonic acid being formed, was converted into the carbonate. 

In this connection Professor William B. Rogers 2 brought out 
a very interesting relation as to the amount of iron in the strata of 
the Coal Measures. He found that a rough estimate of the amount 
of carbonate ore in the lower Coal Measures of the Laurel Hill 
region of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, based on a detailed ex¬ 
amination of the ores and associated rocks, did not amount to one- 
third of one per cent, of the whole mass of this portion of the Coal 
Measures. This same relation also held for other areas subjected 
to a similar calculation. Allowing a quantity three times as great 
as this for the diffused carbonate, we should have about one per 
cent, to represent the proportion of ferruginous matter in the en¬ 
tire mass,—an amount much less than what exists in many of the 
strata both older and younger than those of the Coal Measures. 

The point thus made by Dr. Rogers is that the ores are not pri¬ 
marily due to an increased rate of deposition of iron during this 
period but are directly the result of conditions favoring the con¬ 
centration of iron disseminated through the shales. As to the man- 


i Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, Yol. 2, pt. 2, p. 737. 2 Idem, p. 738. 



252 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


ner in which this concentration took place, Dr. Rogers gives the 
following explanation: 

“The gathering of the diffused proto-carbonate into bands and courses of 
ore began, no doubt, as soon as the production of this compound had made 
some progress. * * * In this course, which finds a simple explanation in 

the combined action of infiltration and the segregating force, it can hardly be 
questioned that the carbonic acid pervading the mass of sediment acted a very 
important part. The large amount of this gas evolved from the beds of vege¬ 
table matter undergoing change would impart to the water of the adjoining 
strata the power of dissolving the diffused proto-carbonate, which, being then 
carried by infiltration through the more porous beds, would accumulate above 
and within the close argillaceous or shaly layers, forming in some cases bands 
of rock ore, in others courses of nodular and plate ores. Of these, the former 
would seem to have resulted from the accumulation by gravity of the dis¬ 
solved carbonate in the substance of sandy shales near the upper limit of 
more impervious beds, while we may regard the latter as having been col¬ 
lected in all directions from the general charge of proto-carbonate accumu¬ 
lated in the argillaceous mass, its mobility in the dissolved condition greatly 
aiding the gathering process of the segregating force." 

James Geikie 1 says the clay ironstones are due to subsequent 
changes in the strata. The carbonate of iron having been more or 
less diffused through the silt beds or shales, has segregated in time, 
so as to form irregular balls or bands. 

Newberry 2 says “the clay ironstones are the product of times 
when the drainage into the coal basins was turbid with mud and 
yet carried much iron. When this mud settled the iron diffused in 
it gradually segregated to form concretions, the centres of spheres 
of attraction of somewhat uniform radius.” 

In speaking of the origin of iron concretions in the Red Bank 
sands, O. W. Willcox 3 says “the evidence in favor of transportation 
by diffusion is clear and positive.” “Transportation by diffusion re¬ 
fers to movement of dissolved matter in obedience only to the molec¬ 
ular activities of the substance in solution.” “Where the concretions 
are absent, the ferruginous coloring matter is more or less evenly 
distributed through the sand; in the vicinity of the concretions the 
red color is less pronounced, and may even disappear altogether, 
leaving the sand clean and white. Further, many of the isolated con¬ 
cretions, compound, as well as simple, lie in sheaths of pure white 
sand, which they have decolorized as decaying roots might have done.” 


1 Iron ores of Great Britain, Kendall, p. 328. 

2 School of Mines Quarterly, Vol. 2, 1880. 

3 Journ. of Geol., Vol. 14, pp. 247-8. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


253 


All of the above authors agree that the iron was originally dis¬ 
seminated through the strata and was subsequently segregated into 
layers of nodules. The force or forces that produced this segrega¬ 
tion are the forces which cause the formation of concretions. 


THE COASTAL PLAIN CARBONATES. 

The carbonate ores of the Coastal Plain occur in the Arundel 
formation, which is the middle member of the Potomac group; and 
are therefore of Lower Cretaceous age. The Potomac group is com¬ 
posed essentially of gravels and bright to sombre colored clays, in 
which those of bright color predominate. These deposits lie directly 
upon the Piedmont surface, and hence form the western margin of 
the Coastal Plain of Maryland. The Potomac group is divided 
into the following formations: 

Patapsco Formation, 

Arundel Formation, 

Patuxent Formation. 


The Arundel Formation. 

The Arundel formation derives its name from Anne Arundel 
County, where the deposits of this age are well developed, and the 
following description of the formation is based chiefly on the de¬ 
scriptions of its occurrence in that coimty by Dr. H. P. Little , 1 
The name was applied by Clark and Bibbins 2 to include the series 
of clays lying between the Patuxent and Patapsco formations. 

Areal Distribution .—The Arundel formation occurs as a fringe, 
usually narrow, along the eastern edge of the Patuxent formation. 
Its exposure is due to the trenches cut by the streams in their course 
across the formation. It never caps the divides so that, although 
of considerable thickness and well developed, its surface exposure is 
comparatively small. 

1H. P. Little: Physical Features of Anne Arundel County, 1910. (Dis¬ 
sertation.) 

2 Clark and Bibbins: Journ. of Geol., Vol. 5, p. 485. 



251 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


Its outcrops extend from Bush River in Harford County in a 
southwesterly direction across the State through Harford, Balti¬ 
more, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Prince George’s counties into 
the District of Columbia. The width of the belt of outcrops no¬ 
where exceeds eight miles. 

Character of Materials .—The Arundel is essentially a clay for¬ 
mation, and it is in these clays that the iron ores occur. When un¬ 
weathered, the clays are usually a dark, blue-drab color. When 
weathered slightly, the dark drab clay takes on a light pinkish drab 
tone which is very characteristic of mines and cuts where the sur¬ 
face has been exposed a short time. On continued exposure, the car¬ 
bonate ore in the clays alters to hematite and limonite, and the clays 
assume a bright red color often resembling the overlying Patapsco 
clays. The clays are very carbonaceous and lignitic logs much 
flattened, are common. Lignitized trunks of trees are also found 
in an upright position with their larger roots still intact. Though 
not an abundantly fossiliferous formation, both plant and animal 
remains occur. The. dinosaur remains found by Professor Marsh 
in this formation in the Muirkirk area caused the lower portion 
of this group to be regarded for a long time as of Jurassic age. 
The more recent paleobotanical evidences make the whole group 
of Lower Cretaceous age. 

Strike, Dip and Thickness .—The strike of the formation is about 
north-northeast. The dip is approximately forty to fifty feet to 
the mile to the southeast; and, like the underlying formation, the 
dip increases westward towards the “fall-line,” where it reaches as 
high as seventy-two feet to the mile. 

The deposits form a series of large and small clay lenses de¬ 
posited under swamp conditions, and hence from their very nature 
tend to be variable in thickness. The maximum thickness reached 
is probably 125 feet, and in general it averages 100 feet. 

Stratigraphic Relations .—The Arundel overlies the Patuxent for¬ 
mation uncomformably, occupying depressions in the ancient sur¬ 
face of the Patuxent. The Arundel is again unconformably over- 
lain by the Patapsco. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


255 


The Arundel Ores. 

The Arundel ores occur scattered throughout the clays of the 
formation in the form of lumps and nodules of various sizes and 
shapes (Plate XXI). The distribution is quite irregular; in some 
places the clays containing large quantities of ore, in others the 
ore occurring sparingly. In general, the nodules are of concretion- 
arv structure, and often consist of a number of nuclei which have 
coalesced to form one larger lump. Such lumps have been found 
weighing several tons, when it is necessary to break them by driv¬ 
ing wedges into them before they can be removed. Except in the 
case of these unusually large lumps, the nodules can easily be shat¬ 
tered with a blow from a sledge hammer. Though tending to ir¬ 
regular spheroidal shapes, large flat nodules also occur with a con¬ 
centric structure. A less frequent occurrence is in the form of a 
bed of limited extent in which the concentric structure is seemingly 
lacking. Such beds do not contain the purest ores, and it may be 
that they represent a large flattened nodule in which, on account 
of its size and the large amount of foreign material included in 
the form of sand and clay, the concretionary structure is obscured. 
The concretions usually have a septarian character, and the walls of 
the septae are lined with crystals of which minute crystals of 
siderite and crystals of gypsum are the most common. 

Two types of ore occur, the iron carbonates and the limonites. 
The former are the original ores, while the latter are formed by 
the subsequent alteration of the carbonates brought about by the 
processes of weathering. 

The carbonate ores are called by the miners “white ore” or “hone 
ore.” The name “white ore” has been applied on account of the 
very light gray color of the pure carbonate ore, and the name “hone 
ore” because the smooth pieces of high grade ore make excellent 
whetstones. The color of the ores when perfectly fresh varies from 
a very light gray to a dark slate color. The slightest trace of 
weathering gives to them a rusty tinge, and from this they grade 
over into the brown, red, and yellow hydrated oxide ores. The ores 
free from impurities break with a perfectly smooth conchoidal frac- 


256 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


ture. Less pure specimens show a rougher surface, and with in¬ 
creasing quantities of sandy material the fracture becomes irregu¬ 
lar and the surface may feel as rough as a sandstone. The miners 
are able to recognize the slightest difference in quality by running 
their fingers over a fracture surface. 

A sample of this ore collected from the ore pile at Muirkirk fur¬ 
nace showed the composition given below. 

ANALYSIS^ of carbonate ore at muirkirk furnace. 


Fe. 

. 33.82 

Mn... 

. 3.92 

Si0 2 . 

. 14.30 

AIoOq . 

. 3.38 

Cab. 

. 1.24 

P . 

.044 

S . 

.296 

co 2 . 

. 19.95 

Ignition . 

. 8.04 


After roasting, this ore would contain about 47 per cent. iron. 

The limonites are collectively designated by the miners as “brown 
ore,” irrespective of the actual color which varies through all shades 
from brown to red or yellow. Since they are derived from the car¬ 
bonates, they exactly resemble the carbonates in shape and form, 
except that the conchoidal fracture is likely to give way to a “shelly” 
structure. Lumps are very abundant which have an exterior con¬ 
sisting of concentric shells of limonite and an interior of “white 
ore” breaking with a perfectly smooth conchoidal fracture, show¬ 
ing that the concretionary structure is inherent in the nodule and 
is brought out sharply in weathering. The analysis of a sample 
of the weathered ore taken from the ore pile at Muirkirk furnace 
follows: 

ANALYSIS! of “brown ore” at muirkirk furnace. 


Fe . 

Mn .... 
Si0 2 • ■ > 

AI0O3 .. 
CaO .... 

P. 

S . 

co 2 .... 

Ignition 


44.49 
2.73 
, 15.01 
3.22 
.43 
.05S 
Trace. 
.82 
14.53 


1 Made by Penniman and Browne. 





















Maryland Geological Survey’. 


Volume ix, Plate xxi. 



Reynold’s ore bank, anne arundel county. 


View Showing Nodular Ore in Arundel Clay 







Maryland Geological Survey 


257 


The kind of ore obtained is merely a question of position with 
reference to the agencies of weathering. Some banks have yielded 
only “brown ore” down to the lowest levels. Others have yielded 
“white ore” almost to the surface. In most cases in working down¬ 
ward, “brown ore” is first encountered, and this passes over gradu¬ 
ally into “white ore” as the depth of the bank increases. The depth 
to which the alteration has taken place depends on various fac¬ 
tors, such as the character of the drainage overlying the ore, and 
the porosity of the clay. The amount of carbonaceous material 
present in the clays must also be of influence in this respect. As 
the process of alteration involves oxidation of ferrous to ferric iron, 
the presence of carbonaceous matter would tend to hinder that oxi¬ 
dation, and thus preserve the carbonate. 

This alteration is of no practical importance. The varieties occur 
so intermingled that all the ore is roasted before it is used in the 
furnace, and no distinction is made in buying it. 


Origin of the Arundel Ores. 

From what has been said of these ores, it is at once recognized 
that they are the counterpart of the clay ironstones of the Coal 
Measures, and all that has been said in regard to the origin 
of the latter ores applies equally well to the ores now under 
consideration. 1 The only difference in the two cases is due to the 
fact that the peculiar conditions which brought about the forma¬ 
tion of these ores were in the case of the clay ironstones of the Coal 
Measures very widespread and extended over a large area; whereas, 
in the case of the Arundel ores, these conditions were much more 
local and existed as a series of comparatively small swamps extend¬ 
ing along the eastern edge of the Piedmont land surface. It has 
been suggested that these swampy conditions were brought about by 
a slight tilting of the land inward toward the Piedmont, which re¬ 
sulted in a clogging of the drainage as the streams emerged from 
that area. 

i Origin of the Carbonate Ores, pp. 248-253. 



258 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Mining Operations. 

The iron ores of the Arundel formation formed the basis of the 
earliest iron industry in Maryland, and have been worked until 
the present day, though in recent years to a very limited extent. 
Since they occur as scattered lumps and nodules throughout the 
Arundel clays, a large amount of clay has to be handled for every 
ton of ore obtained. Under present conditions of labor, it is possi¬ 
ble to work a good bank at a small margin of profit for about three 
dollars per ton of ore. Under specially favorable conditions, the 
ore could be produced for a few cents less; but in other cases it 
could hardly be produced at that figure. Three dollars may, how¬ 
ever, be taken as a fair average estimate for profitable operations. 
A great deal of the ore which is at present used at the Muirkirk 
furnace is obtained from brickyards, where the nodules are thrown 
out in mining the clay. In such cases, the ore can, of course, be 
furnished at a lower price. Though the deposits have been worked 
for a period of nearly two hundred years, only a small percentage 
of the total area has been touched, and there is still an enormous 
quantity of this ore available. 

The falling off in production has been due to the lack of a steady 
market at sufficiently remunerative prices. In the last fifteen 
years, the Muirkirk furnace has been the only available market. 
As this furnace makes a very high grade of iron, there is only a 
limited market for its output; and the demand for ore has been 
extremely uncertain. Then, too, the price of ore has been such that 
it has not been profitable to work the banks to any great extent 
during the summer when labor is in demand on the farms, and 
most of the mining has been done in winter when there is a less 
demand for labor in other lines. This has made it impossible to 
obtain a steady supply of ore of any considerable quantity the whole 
year round, so that there has been no demand for these ores at large 
plants. These uncertain market conditions have discouraged the 
undertaking of large scale operations such as were formerly car¬ 
ried on at many points. From the nature of the materials, the old 
banks soon wash in and to open them again may require considera- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


259 


ble initial expense in removing the overburden. The result is that 
the methods have deteriorated to a great extent to what is known as 
“gouging.” This work is done chiefly by day laborers in banks 
owned by other people to whom they pay a royalty of twenty-five 
to fifty cents per ton of ore extracted. These men mine wherever 
they find the best showing of ore, and do not attempt to develop a 
bank by any systematic methods. 

Though by far the greater part of the mining has been done by 
open cutting, where there is a considerable overburden, a great deal 
of underground mining has also been carried on. The open cuts 
have always been worked with pick and shovel, and the clay hauled 
out of the banks in carts. The underground mining is usually done 
through shafts. A shaft is sunk to the ore bed and from it a drift 
run out into the bed. The clay and ore are hauled out of the shaft 
by means of a windlass. After opening one such drift, others are 
run out in different directions from the shaft, and the clay filled 
into the old ones, so that only the ore has to be hoisted. In other 
cases where the overburden in the open cut becomes too great, the 
bank is further worked by means of tunnels into the sides. This 
is one of the favorite methods of “gouging.” 

Probably the most flourishing period in the history of the min¬ 
ing of these ores was during the Civil War, when they brought as 
high as eight dollars, or even more, per ton. After the War, they 
brought from five to six dollars for some time, and then gradually 
decreased in price until a sudden drop in the early nineties brought 
them down to two dollars. This practically destroyed the industry, 
as the subsequent rise in price has not been sufficient to bring about 
more than the desultory operations of today already mentioned. 

The ores have been mined in all the counties in which the Arun¬ 
del formation occurs, and a description of the operations follows 
by taking up the counties in order from northeast to southwest. 

Cecil County. 

Cecil County has been in the front rank as an iron producer 
among the counties of the State, although there has been very little 
iron ore mined within its confines. This is not surprising, as the 
Arundel formation, the ore-bearing horizon of the Coastal Plain, 


260 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


does not outcrop in this county. Iron ore was discovered in very 
early times at Principio, and a furnace erected there. Put the sup¬ 
ply from the very beginning was inadequate, and as early as 1724 
ore was brought from the neighborhood of Baltimore for the fur¬ 
nace. 

At Blythedale, two miles northwest of Principio, on Mrs. Mary 
Whitaker’s property, an attempt was made about 1850 to mine 
ore, but the ore was of too low grade. It was a limonite in reddish 
clay. This deposit was worked long before that time, but no evi¬ 
dence of the former workings remains. Ore is also supposed to 
have been worked in early times just east of Principio Station, 
but the workings were probably never extensive as no evidences of 
them are preserved. 


Harford County. 

The Arundel ores have been mined in the southern end of Har¬ 
ford County between the Bush and Gunpowder rivers. Although 
the Coastal Plain continues on across the County to the Susque¬ 
hanna, the Arundel formation does not outcrop northeast of the 
Bush River. 

Walsh Ore Bank [109].—One-half mile northeast of Sewell, along 
the river bank, is an opening about 100 yards long and worked back 
for a distance of 100 to 200 feet. This ore bank was operated by 
Robert Green and afterwards by William F. Pannell for the Har¬ 
ford furnace. 

Sewell Ore Bank [110].—A quarter mile north of Sewell is a 
bank 300 feet in diameter and 60 feet deep filled with water, on 
the properties of Mr. N. F. Sullivan and Mr. Edward Mosedale. 
This was opened and worked by William F. Pannell for the Har¬ 
ford furnace. 

Welzenbach Ore Bank [111].—A mile and a half northeast of 
Edgewood is an opening 50 feet in diameter, worked about thirty 
years ago by George Baker and now owned by Caspar Welzenbach. 
This was only worked a few winters, and the ore sent from Edge- 
wood to the Chesapeake furnaces at Canton. 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XXII. 



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LOCATION OK IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF HARFORD AND BALTIMORE COUNTIES 


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Maryland Geological Survey 


261 


Shipley Ore Bank [112].—One mile northeast of Joppa, on the 
north side of the Philadelphia road, is an opening 300 yards long 
and in places 100 yards wide. This property now belongs to Mrs. 
M. A. Shipley; but was formerly owned and worked by Mr. Joseph 
Price, who sent the ore to the Harford furnace. 

Lomyer Ore Bank [113].—On Mr. Robert Lomyer’s place, a 
quarter of a mile north of Clayton, is a bank 600 by 150 feet which 
was owned by Clement Dietrich, and worked for the Harford fur¬ 
nace. 

FlaMermash Ore Bank [114].—At Clayton, on the south side of 
the railroad, is a small opening, 100 feet in diameter, which is now 
owned by Mr. Henry Flattermash. 

Willick Ore Bank [115].—A half mile southwest of Clayton is 
an ore bank 400 by 300 feet which was worked to a depth of 35 
feet, but is now filled with water. This is in part on the property 
of Mr. Henry Willick. The ore was limonite at the top, but 
changed to “white ore” in depth. The bank was worked chiefly 
for the Harford furnace, but some ore was sent to Baltimore. 

A hundred yards southwest of this opening is a small one 75 
feet in diameter on the Walsh estate. 

Prospect Hill Ore Bank [116].—Three hundred yards south of 
the Willick ore bank on the Walsh estate and the Prospect Hill 
property is a bank 500 feet in diameter. 

A quarter of a mile south of this is another small bank 100 by 
50 feet, also on the Walsh estate. Both of these banks were worked 
for the Harford furnace. 

Berner Ore Bank [117].—On Mr. Gustav Benser’s place one mile 
south of Clayton, is a shallow bank 200 feet in diameter, which was 
worked about forty years ago. 

Crow Ore Bank [118].—A mile and a quarter south of Joppa, 
on Mr. George Crow’s place, is a large bank 700 by 200 feet and 
40 feet deep, which was formerly owned and worked by Clement 
Dietrich for his Harford furnace. 


262 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Pine Grove Farm Ore Banks [119].—There are two openings on 
the Pine Grove farm, one mile south of Joppa, lying over a quar¬ 
ter of a mile apart. The easterly opening is 500 by 100 feet, and 
the westerly one 400 by 150 feet. These were owned when last 
w r orked by Clement Dietrich and the ore sent to his furnace. 

This is probably the locality referred to by Ducatel 1 as Pine 
Grove Ridge, which he says “is based upon a large body of ore, an 
argillaceous carbonate of iron occurs in nodules in a stiff blue clay, 
of excellent quality yielding 30 per cent, to 40 per cent. Pe.” 

Joppa Ore Banks [120].—The woods south of Joppa have been 
extensively worked over in times past. A quarter of a mile south 
of Joppa is an area 300 yards in diameter which has been worked 
on a large scale. Also south of this, on the south side of the sec¬ 
ondary road, is a bank now filled with water 100 by 150 feet and 
20 or more feet deep. When last worked this entire tract was 
owned by Clement Dietrich and worked by lessees for his furnace. 
It now belongs to the Walsh estate. 

Hanway Ore Bank [121].—On the north side of Joppa are old 
workings about 100 yards in diameter on the property of Mr. J. 
B. Hanway. These were last worked for about a year by Mr. Han¬ 
way, just before the Harford furnace shut down. Before him the 
property was owned by John Rouse. 

Skillman Ore Banks [122].—A quarter of a mile northeast of 
Joppa are two openings belonging to Mr. John Skillman. The one 
is 250 by 100 feet, and east of this is one 150 by 50 feet by 20 
feet deep. 

Baltimore County. 

The ore banks in which the Arundel ores have been worked in 
Baltimore County occur in a belt running in a southwesterly direc¬ 
tion across the southeastern part of the County from the Gunpowder 
Palls to the Patapsco River, passing through the eastern and south¬ 
ern portions of Baltimore City. Although the ores have been 
worked throughout the whole of this belt the most important re¬ 
gion has been that to the southwest of the city. 


i Ducatel: Rep. of the State Geol. of Md., 1838, p. 4. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


263 


Gerst Ore Bank [123].—A mile and a half northwest of White- 
marsh is an old opening 300 by 200 feet belonging to Mr. Peter 
Gerst. This was last worked by him for a while just before the 
closing down of the furnace at Stemmer Run. Some time before 
this, the ore was mined for Robert Howard, for his furnace on 
the Gunpowder Falls. 

Tremper Ore Banks [124].—On Mr. Joseph Tremper’s farm, 
a mile and a quarter northwest of Whitemarsh, are two ore banks. 
The larger one is about 250 yards long and varies in width up to 
200 feet. This was worked by Mr. Tremper and his father for 
about four years before the shutting down of the Stemmer Run 
furnace. 

Three hundred yards to the south is a small opening 50 by 20 
feet. Both of these were worked by Robert Howard for his fur¬ 
nace on the Gunpowder Falls. 

Wagonfere Ore Bank [125].—On Mr. Charles Wagonfere’s place 
is an ore bank worked by James Canoles until the Stemmer Run 
furnace shut down. It lies one mile northwest of Whitemarsh. The 
main opening is 100 by 50 feet, but “gouging” has been done all 
around it. 

Boeder Ore Bank [126],—Three hundred yards southeast of the 
Wagonfere ore bank is a small opening 20 feet in diameter, on Mr. 
Peter Roeder’s farm. This is said to have been worked quite deep 
by means of tunneling. 

Cook Ore Banks [127].—A half mile northwest of Whitemarsh, 
Mr. Peter Cook mined ore on his farm for a number of winters 
until the Stemmer Run furnace shut down. The work was done 
by open cutting and by tunneling. There were two open cuts about 
one hundred and fifty yards apart, which have since become almost 
completely filled in. 

Lohman Ore Banks [128].—One mile west of Whitemarsh, an 
area of several acres consists of old workings. These were worked 
by open cutting and tunneling by Jacob Smith until 1881. At 
times he worked them on quite a large scale, using eight carts to 


264 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


haul the ore to Stemmer Run. Before him, the banks were worked 
by the Lohmans. This locality is mentioned in the 1880 Census 
Reports 1 in which year the output was 300 tons containing 42.76 
per cent. Fe and .092 per cent. P. The following section is also 
given: Sand overlain by sandy loam, 5 to 10 feet; below this, clay 
15 to 20 feet, the lower part of which contains nodules of car¬ 
bonate ore. 

Smith Ore Bank [129].—Jacob Smith also opened a bank on his 
own property, a half mile southwest of Whitemarsli, about thirty 
years ago. This has since been filled in. The opening was only 20 
to 30 feet in diameter, as the greater part of the work was done by 
tunneling. 

Myers Ore Bank [130].—On Mr. Frederick Myers’ place, on 
Cass Run, one mile east of Whitemarsh, a bank has been worked 
into the terrace on the west side of the Run with a face 300 feet 
or more long, and back for a distance of about 100 feet. This was 
opened about 1855 by Benjamin Sweeden, and the ore sent to 
Havre de Grace. At that time the output was 1500 tons a year. 
Later, Jacob Smith and a Mr. Brady worked here, sending their 
ore to the Stemmer Run furnace, until it shut down, when the 
bank was abandoned. 

Rohe Ore Bank [131].—Two miles northwest of Poplar is an 
ore bank 150 by 100 feet, on Mr. John Rohe’s property, which has 
not been worked for over twenty years, at which time it was owned 
by Howard McHenry and worked on royalty. 

Riemschneider Ore Bank [132].—One mile northwest of Poplar 
is an ore bank 150 by 50 feet filled with water, belonging to Mr. 
Henry Riemschneider. This was worked about twenty years ago 
and the ore sent to the Stickney furnaces at Canton. 

King Ore Bank [133].—Back of Mr. William King’s house, 
three-quarters of a mile northwest of Poplar, was an ore bank 
which has been filled in. This was worked for Robert Howard’s 
furnace on the Gunpowder Falls. 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 245. 



MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XXIII. 


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LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF BALTIMORE AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTIES 























































































































































































































































































Maryland Geological Survey 


265 


Nine Mile Hill [134].—Ore was taken from the surface on Nine 
Mile Hill along the Philadelphia Road by Frank Koester about 
thirty years ago, and sent to the Stemmer Run furnace. 

Kahler Ore Bank [135]. — One mile west of Poplar on Mr. 
Henry Mohr’s place, Mr. August Kahler worked an ore bank about 
thirty-five years ago, when the property was owned by Albert Hof- 
meister. The site is now marked only by a small dump, the bank 
having been filled in. 

Hofmeister Ore Bank [136].—Two hundred yards southeast of 
the Kahler Ore Bank is a bank 50 feet in diameter filled with water, 
belonging to Mr. Louis Hofmeister. This was worked by Thomas 
Jenkins for the Stemmer Run furnace, at which time it was owned 
by Levi Furstenburg, one of the owners of the furnace. 

Bishop Ore Bank [137].—Three hundred yards southwest of 
the Kahler Ore Bank was another bank, on Mr. Eugene Bishop’s 
place. This has also been filled in, and the site is marked only by 
a small dump. 

Westerman Ore Bank [138].—One mile northwest of Rossville, 
on Mr. Westerman’s property, is a bank 300 by 150 feet filled with 
water, which was worked about forty years ago. No further de¬ 
tails were obtained in regard to it. 

Mohr Ore Bank [139].—Three-quarters of a mile northwest of 
Rossville, on Mr. Charles Mohr’s place, is a bank 200 by 50 feet 
and 25 feet deep. As the ore body extended across the County 
road, the open cut w r ork had to be stopped and tunneling was re¬ 
sorted to. The ore was sent to the Stemmer Run furnace until it 
shut down, and then for a while to the Stickney furnaces at Can¬ 
ton. At that time it was owned by Samuel Kern, who obtained 50c. 
per ton royalty. 

Toboll Ore Bank [140].—Across the creek from the Mohr Ore 
Bank, on Mr. John Toboll’s place, there was formerly a bank cov¬ 
ering about an acre which has been filled in. This was owned and 
worked by John Lennen. 


266 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Ender Ore Bank [141].—There are also two ore banks across the 
road from the Mohr Ore Bank, on Mr. Henry Ender’s place, for¬ 
merly owned by Miss Ellen Brown. The opening back of the house 
is about 150 by 200 feet across and 25 feet deep. Modules of limo- 
nite made up of concentric shells still outcrop in a gray clay in the 
sides of the bank. The other bank is one hundred yards further 
south and was cut into the sides of the hill for a length of about 
150 feet. 

Reich Ore Bank [142].—A quarter of a mile northwest of Ross- 
ville, on Mr. Conrad Reich’s place, is an old L-shaped opening, each 
arm of which is about 100 yards long. Mr. Reich acquired the prop¬ 
erty from Miss Ellen Brown in 1888, and worked the bank for 
several winters by tunneling from a thirty-foot shaft. In 1892, 
the price of ore became too low for profitable mining, and the bank 
was abandoned. Mr. Reich said he had a fairly continuous bed 
of ore from five to six feet thick, and with the aid of one man 
could get out from one to two tons of ore a day, which he hauled 
to the Stickney furnaces at Canton. 

Bethke Ore Bank [143].—On Mr. Robert Bethke’s farm, a half 
mile northwest of Rossville, is an old bank which, together with its 
dumps, covers an area of about six acres. Except for a little min¬ 
ing done by Mr. Bethke in the early eighties, the bank has not been 
worked for over thirty years. 

Brown Ore Banks [144].—On Miss Ellen Brown’s property, a 
quarter of a mile northwest of the Bethke Ore Banks, are two 
banks which were worked until about 1890. The larger one is 300 
by 150 feet; and south of it is the smaller, which is a long narrow 
cut 300 by 25 feet. 

Solomon Ore Bank [145].—A half mile southwest of Poplar, 
on Mr. George L. Solomon’s place, are two ore banks formerly 
owned by Frederick Seling and worked by William Rever and 
Frank Koester. They are each about 150 by 50 feet and now filled 
with water. A great deal of the mining here was also done by 
shafting. According to the 1880 Census Report, 1 the ore nodules 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 247. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


267 


were unusually large, ranging from two to three feet in their long¬ 
est dimension and occurred in a five to six foot bed of clay over- 
lain by about eight feet of similar clay but barren of nodules. An 
analysis showed 40.58 per cent. Fe and .094 per cent. P. 

Jenkins Ore Bank [146].—One-half mile northeast of Rossville, 
ore was worked years ago by Thomas Jenkins along the stream bed 
near the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks. The extent of the 
workings can no longer be determined. 

Townsend Ore Bank [147].—On the north side of Stemmer Run 
Station is an ore bank 100 feet in diameter which was worked to 
a depth of 50 feet. This was formerly part of the Stemmer Run 
furnace property and is now owned by Mr. Walter Townsend. The 
bank has not been worked since the furnace shut down. 

Hengemihle Ore Bank [148].—On Mr. A. Hengemihle’s place, 
south of Stemmer Run Station, is an old open cut 700 feet long, 
which was part of the Stemmer Run property and was worked for 
that furnace. The 1880 Census Report 1 gives the section exposed 
in the bank at that time as follows: Sand, 12 feet; sandy clay, 
3 feet; clay, 8 feet. The ore occurred in the clay at the bottom 
as nodules, without a covering of limonite shells, and contained 
35.75 per cent. Pe and .098 per cent. P. 

Turner Ore Banks [149].—A half mile west of Middle River, on 
Mrs. Turner’s property, are two banks formerly owned by Elias 
Robinson. An area of several acres was worked to a depth of 
25 feet, and a hundred yards to the southwest is another opening- 
150 by 40 feet. A great many small limonite nodules are still scat¬ 
tered about on the surface. According to the Census Report for 
1880, 1 the ore was obtained from a stiff gray clay, and hence the 
openings went through the surface covering of the Patapsco forma¬ 
tion and reached the Arundel clay underneath. The iron content 
of 46.23 per cent, indicates that the greater part of the ore had 
been altered to limonite, although some carbonate was obtained. 
The production in 1880 was 450 tons. These banks were first 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 247. 



268 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


worked by the sons of Henry Smith on a royalty of 50c. per ton, 
and then for about four years by H. Hegeman, who was operating 
in 1880. The ore was sold to the Stemmer Run furnace and to 
some of the Baltimore furnaces at from six to eight dollars per ton. 

Taylor Ore Bank [150].—A half mile north of Middle River 
Station, on Mr. Alois Taylor’s place, are about four acres of old 
workings where ore was formerly mined by Charles Masson, the 
owner of the property at that time, and sold to the Stemmer Run 
furnace. This locality also lies east of the Arundel outcrops, and 
a great deal of shafting was done to get through the Patapsco for¬ 
mation to the Arundel clays below. 

Gay Shore Prospect [151].—On Mr. Frank Helldorfer’s place, 
known as Gay Shore, three quarters of a mile southeast of Middle 
River Station, Elias Robinson attempted to mine ore some years 
ago. There is a crescent-shaped opening about 75 feet across on the 
shore of the creek, but it shows no evidence of iron ore. He was 
probably misled by one of the ferruginous indurated layers which 
are so common in the Coastal Plain formations, as the Arundel 
formation here lies below the level of the creek, and hence it would 
have been impossible to reach it. 

Kern Ore Bank [152].—There are two small openings 30 feet 
in diameter, on Mr. John Kern’s place, a half mile northwest of 
Golden Ring. They were worked about thirty years ago by John 
Martin and Jacob Pugh when this was part of the Stemmer Run 
furnace property. 

Rheinhardt Ore Bank [153].—Along the west side of Redhouse 
Creek, one mile west of Golden Ring, on the property of Mr. An¬ 
drew Rheinhardt, Michael Berlett mined about 200 tons of ore 
thirty-five years ago. 

Kline’s Brickyard Ore Bank [154].—This locality was worked 
on a large scale over an area of one hundred acres until the Stem¬ 
mer Run furnace shut down. At present little ore is found in the 
clay worked for the brickyard, and in the eleven years that the 


Maryland Geological Survey 


26 '.) 

brickyard has been there, not more than three carloads of ore have 
been sold. 

Ziiikand Ore Bank [155].—There is a small opening 40 feet in 
diameter alongside of Mrs. Zinkand’s house, on the Philadelphia 
Road, at Rosedale, which has been nearly filled in. No details as 
to the working of this or the next two banks described were ob¬ 
tained. 

SchmicLtman Ore Bank [156].—Three hundred yards back of the 
Zinkand Ore Bank, on Mr. J. Schmidtman’s place, is a bank 550 
by 50 feet. 

Leitschuh Ore Bank [157].—On Mr. D. Leitschuh’s farm, a 
half mile west of Rosedale, is a pond 200 by 150 feet, which is an 
old ore bank. 

Lepper Ore Banks [158].—One mile northwest of Rosedale is an 
area of old workings over a quarter of a mile long and about 200 
yards wide, belonging to Mr. Al. Lepper and Mr. C. A. Kelly. 
This locality has been worked extensively by open cutting and by 
tunneling, but little work has been done in the past twenty-five 
years. 

Gorsucli Point [159].—Gorsuch Point was one of the early 
sources of ore for the Principio Company. Mining was carried on 
there as early as 1724, but it seems that no work was done in later 
years. 

East Baltimore [160].—There were formerly a number of ore 
banks in East Baltimore, and considerable ore was mined in this 
region. Through the development and growth of the city, the evi¬ 
dences of these have been destroyed in recent years. 

Whetstone Point [161].—This is another area within the city 
limits which was an important source of ore from the earliest times. 
In 1727, the Principio Company bought the ore rights on Whet¬ 
stone Point at the extremity of which Fort McHenry now stands. 
This was for many years one of the principal sources of supply for 
the Principio furnace, and afterwards also furnished ore for other 


270 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


furnaces. Mining operations were not confined to the Point itself, 
but ore was also dredged from the river bottom along its shores. 
This dredging was done until shortly after the Civil War. In all 
probability, the Point owes its name to its former importance as a 
source of ore, as the high grade carbonate ores made excellent whet¬ 
stones of very smooth texture. 

Westport Paving Brick Company Bank [162].—The clay bank 
of the Westport Paving Brick Company, southeast of Westport, was 
formerly an ore bank. At present the ore nodules are still laid 
aside by Dennis Simms (colored) and shipped to Muirkirk. In 
this way about one ton of ore is obtained from every seventy cubic 
yards of clay removed. 

Ellicott Ore Bank [163].—An ore bank one mile southeast of 
Westport, 600 by 250 feet and about 30 feet deep, was leased and 
worked by the Ellicotts for their furnaces in Baltimore, and aban¬ 
doned when these were shut down. 

Whitaker Ore Banks [164].—South of Minersville, on the An¬ 
napolis Road, are two large banks belonging to the Whitaker Iron 
Company, which were worked for their furnace at Principio. No 
mining has been carried on here for more than twenty years. One 
bank is about 800 feet long and 200 to 300 feet wide; two hun¬ 
dred yards to the south of it is the other bank, which is 500 by 
200 feet in area. A sample of ore taken for the 1880 Census 1 
showed 40.73 per cent. Fe and .149 per cent. P. At that time 
operations were no longer on a large scale, and the banks are said 
to have been so weathered, that it was only possible to see that the 
chief material was a brown clay. Two new small excavations at 
that time showed that at a depth of eight to twelve feet the ore 
was limonite, and below that depth chiefly carbonate with a limo- 
nite exterior. 

Obrien Ore Banks [165].—A half mile southeast of Clifton are 
two ponds which were formerly ore banks. The one to the east, 
which is 500 by 250 feet, belongs to Mr. Michael Obrien, and when 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 253. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


271 


worked belonged to his father, Patrick Obrien; the other, which 
is 600 by 200 feet, belonged at that time to Hiram Kaufman, and 
was worked by Patrick Obrien on a royalty of 50c. per ton. The 
ore was “white ore” at the bottom, and “white ore” with a limo- 
nite crust toward the top. The overburden increased as the banks 
were extended into the hillside, until it reached a thickness of four¬ 
teen to eighteen feet. These banks were worked before 1860, and 
again opened in 1875 by Patrick Obrien and worked by him and 
his son until 1890, and then one year by George Bowers when they 
were finally abandoned. The output under the Obriens ran as high 
as 400 tons per month. The ore was loaded on scows at the banks 
and taken to the Baltimore furnaces. 

Kaufman Ore Bank [166].—At Clifford, there is a small bank 
40 feet in diameter on the Kaufman property, which was worked 
a short while about 1890. 

Brian Ore Banks [167].—On Mr. Joseph Brian’s place, south¬ 
west of Clifford, are three old banks which have been abandoned for 
at least forty years. One of them is about two hundred yards west 
of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad tracks, and 
is 250 by 100 feet by 15 feet deep. Just west of it is another 
about 50 feet in diameter. The third lies three-eighths of a mile 
southwest of these, at the head of a long gully, and is so old that it 
has almost merged itself with the natural topography, and its size 
cannot be determined. 

Pitcher Ore Bank [168].—A mile and a half south of Clifford, 
on the north shore of the Patapsco River, ore was worked 
in a bank cut into the side of the hill for a length of about 100 
yards, on the property of Mr. Nathan Pitcher. This is a very old 
bank and no details were learned in regard to it. 

Pitcher and Creager Brick Company Banks [169].—Three-quar¬ 
ters of a mile southwest of Mt. Winans, on the site of an old brick¬ 
yard belonging to the Pitcher and Creager Brick Company, is a 
large bank worked in recent years for clay. The opening lies on 
both sides of the Washington Road, and is over 1500 feet long and 


272 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


lias a maximum, width of 600 to 700 feet. Before the Civil War, 
the property was owned by John Swartz, and at that time was mined 
on a large scale for iron ore. Little attempt has been made to w T ork 
it for iron ore since that time. In working the bank for clay, the 
ore is still saved, but not much is encountered, and a shipment of 
only a few hundred tons to Muirkirk last spring represented the 
accumulation of several years. The ores are chiefly “brown ore.” 
Paint ore occurs in the bank in lenses, and is still worked in a desul¬ 
tory way. 

A half mile northeast of here on the hill above Mt. Winans, is 
another clay bank, belonging to the same company, which was also 
formerly worked for ore. The ore here is chiefly “white ore” in 
a gray clay. Underlying the clay is a bed of paint ore which is 
worked occasionally on a small scale. 

Blowhorn Ore Banks [170].—A half mile south of Mt. Winans, 
on Mr. William E. Blowhorn’s property, ore was mined quite ex¬ 
tensively before the Civil War, and on a small scale until the sev¬ 
enties. The workings extended over a distance of a thousand feet, 
but have nearly all been filled in except at the southeast end, where 
there is still a large pond. 

Rittenhouse Ore Bank [171].—Three hundred yards southeast 
of West Baltimore Station is an opening 100 feet in diameter, on 
Mr. Van Bradt Rittenhouse’s place, wdiich seems to be quite old. 

During Ore Bank [172].—On Mrs. During’s property, a quarter 
of a mile southwest of West Baltimore Station, on the south side 
of the railroad tracks, is a small opening in a gully from which a 
little ore was taken over twenty years ago when the property be¬ 
longed to John Baer. 

Ore Banks Northeast of Landsdowne [173].—Northeast of Lands- 
downe, is a belt of old workings a mile long and nearly a hundred 
yards wide, running in a northwesterly direction. They are on the 
properties of Mt. Zion Cemetery Company, Mr. James Rittenhouse, 
and a Mr. Strasburg, respectively, from southeast to northwest. At 
the northwest end, Mr. Henry Hinks got out one carload during 1908 


MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XXIV. 



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LOCATION OK IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF BALTIMORE, HOWARD, ANNE ARUNDEL AND 

prince george’s counties 



















































Maryland Geological Survey 


273 


by tunneling, paying a royalty of 50c. per ton. Two of his tun¬ 
nels were still open in the fall of 1910, and showed considerable 
ore in elongated bands and nodules. 

Ore Banks Southeast of Landsdowne [174].—Southeast of Lands- 
downe, is another area of old workings half a mile long, on prop¬ 
erty belonging to Mr. C. J. Hull and Capt. Cloud. These banks 
have not been actively worked for thirty-five years. 

Kennedy Ore Bank [175].—One mile northwest of Arbutus, 
on property belonging to a Mrs. Kennedy, is a very old opening 100 
yards long and 150 feet wide. Ko information in regard to this 
was obtained. 

Excelsior Brick and Pottery Company Banks [176].—One mile 
northeast of Arbutus, are three connected openings nearly a half 
mile long, on the Excelsior Brick and Pottery Company’s property. 
The two openings to the southwest are old ore banks, which were 
worked very extensively during the Civil War and for some time 
after, but not during the last twenty years. The other opening is the 
clay bank of the brickyard. Under a four-foot overburden of sandy soil 
is a fifteen-foot bed of light blue clay with nodules of ore, tending 
to occur most abundantly in the middle of the bed. Then comes a 
ferruginous conglomerate layer, below which is a bed of darker blue 
clay containing less ore. The lumps of ore obtained in mining the 
clay are saved and sold to the Muirkirk furnace. In this way about 
900 tons of ore are obtained annually. At the time of the author’s 
visit in the fall of 1910, there were about 600 tons of ore on hand, 
consisting chiefly of limonite, though some carbonate ore also occurs. 

Ore Banks Northwest of Landsdowne [177].—One mile north¬ 
west of Landsdowne is a section of old workings nearly three-quar¬ 
ters of a mile long, following along the top of a north-south ridge, 
and at the south end reaching a width of 1000 feet. These are 
from north to south on the properties of the Excelsior Brick and 
Pottery Company, Mr. Jacob Odensoss, Colonel McIntosh and 
Mr. D. II. Emory. They were worked before the Civil War, but 
most extensively during the War, and after that period less and 


274 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


less actively. Those at the south end were last worked on a large 
scale twenty-two years ago by Mr. Fred. Link and Mr. George 
Brown, and again on a smaller scale by Mr. Link seven years ago. 

Mr. Odensoss continued operations until the furnaces in Balti¬ 
more shut down, and then did not mine again until last winter, 
when he shipped 20 tons to Muirkirk. Under the iron ore on his 
place, is a bed of paint ore which he has occasionally worked. In 
1880, 1 Mr. Odensoss was working a bank 25 feet deep, in the 
upper part of which was a light gray and brown sandy clay, con¬ 
taining siliceous nodules of ore, and in the lower part a dark bluish- 
gray clay containing less siliceous ore. An analysis of these ores 
yielded 37.53 per cent. Fe and .041 per cent. P. 

Ore Banks Northeast of Halethorpe [178].—A half-mile north¬ 
east of Halethorpe, ore was worked on a large scale by Mr. William 
T. Randle, during the Civil War. Beginning at the Washington 
Road, a series of cuts were made into the side of the hill for a 
distance of 1500 feet to the north. Just west of these, three hun¬ 
dred yards from the road, is a bank 600 feet long and from 50 
to 200 feet wide; and a hundred yards southwest of this is another 
opening 150 by 40 feet. A little work was done in these banks 
until about five years ago by Mr. Fred. Link. The ore is chiefly 
“white ore” with a limonite crust. 

Virginia Ore Banks [179].—On the hill west of Monumental 
Station is an area of old workings 800 feet long and 500 feet wide, 
known as the Virginia Banks, which are said to have been worked 
about a hundred years ago, when the property belonged to the Ca- 
tons. In recent years they have been worked to a very limited ex¬ 
tent by Mr. Fred. Link. 

Kraft Ore Banks [180].—At the south end of Halethorpe, are 
two banks, on opposite sides of the road leading to Halethorpe Sta¬ 
tion, which were operated by Mr. John Kraff from 1880 to 1895; 
and the ore, which was mostly limonite, sent to the Baltimore fur¬ 
naces. The openings are about 50 feet in diameter. The bank on 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 253. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


275 


the east side of the road was opened again last winter and three 
or four carloads of ore sent to Muirkirk. The ore in this fresh 
exposure occurs chiefly in nodules from three to four inches long. 

Miller Ore Banks [181].—A half mile west of Halethorpe is a 
bank 400 feet long with a maximum width of 200 feet, and around 
it are several smaller openings. This property was worked in the 
sixties by Mr. William T. Randle and Perry G. Mitchell, and was 
owned at that time by William Miller. It now belongs to the 
Francis Real Estate Company. 

Ring Ore Bank [182].—A half mile west of Halethorpe is an¬ 
other bank, on the farm of Mr. David Ring, which was worked 
by his father, Dennis Ring, about the same time as the Miller Ore 
Banks. This opening is 300 feet long, and 50 to 100 feet wide. 
It was worked by both open cutting and tunneling. Four carts 
were used in hauling, and Mr. Ring estimates the total output to 
have been 10,000 tons. 

Coursey Ore Bank [183].—A quarter of a mile south of the 
Ring Ore Bank, on Mr. Howard Ring’s farm, is a bank 300 by 
100 feet in area, now partially filled in, which was worked about 
sixty-five years ago by Edward Coursey. 

Randle Ore Bank [184].—Three-quarters of a mile north of Re¬ 
lay, Mr. William T. Randle worked a bank on his farm which he 
has since filled up. It was apparently about 200 feet in diameter. 

Stapleton Ore Banks [185].—One mile north of Relay, are three 
ore banks on Mr. R. E. Stapleton’s place, which were worked about 
thirty years ago by Bernard Sandman and his brother. The bank 
next to the county road is 400 by 200 feet and 20 feet deep; ad¬ 
joining it on the northeast, is another 150 feet in diameter; and 
about 200 yards to the east is the third which is 300 feet long 
and 100 feet wide. These banks are said to have been worked on 
a very large scale, and about thirty carloads of ore a month mined. 

Howard County. 

All the carbonate ores that have been worked in Howard 
County, with the exception of one locality near Bridewell, are in 


276 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


the vicinity of Hanover, and form but a part of an area, the greater 
portion of which lies in Anne Arundel County, which has been one 
of the greatest sources of these ores. 

Haslup Ore Bank [186].—Three-quarters of a mile west of Bride¬ 
well, on the farm of Mr. Lewis Haslup, is an area about 100 yards 
in diameter, from which ore was taken. Work was begun here 
about 1865, when the ore was hauled to the Savage furnace; later, 
it was shipped to Baltimore and to Muirkirk. This deposit was 
last worked about fifteen years ago by Mr. Thomas King, on a 
royalty of 50c. per ton. He went to a depth of thirty feet, and 
except near the surface obtained “white ore.” 

Scaggs Ore Bank. —Adjoining the Haslup Bank, on the property 
of Mrs. Scaggs, is an opening 100 by 40 feet, which was worked 
at the same time. 

Talbott Ore Bank [187].—At the west end of West Elkridge, on 
the north side of the Washington Road, is a large opening 300 feet 
wide extending back from the road for a distance of 500 feet. Ho 
work has been done here since 1870; but before that time, when it 
was in the hands of Jefferson Talbott, this bank was worked exten¬ 
sively on royalties of from 50c. to 70c. per ton. The bank was 
opened in the first half of the nineteenth century, when the property 
belonged to the Tysons. 

Brooks Ore Bank [188].—One-half mile north of Hanover, on 
property now owned by a Mr. Bedford, is an old opening formerly 
worked by George W. Hobbs, which is 300 feet long, 200 feet wide 
and 30 feet deep. 

A quarter of a mile southwest of this point are two small open¬ 
ings, 25 feet in diameter, from which paint ore was taken about 
eight years ago by Mr. Robert Wilson. These are only about six 
feet deep as the bed of paint ore occurs near the surface, and frag¬ 
ments in the soil give it a bright red color. 

Hobbs Ore Banks [189].—There are several large openings on 
the property of the heirs of George Hobbs, three-quarters of a mile 
southwest of Hanover. The largest two are on Deep Run. One of 


Maryland Geological Survey 


277 


these lias a width of 200 to 300 feet, and extends back from the 
run for a distance of about 800 feet, with a depth of 50 feet or 
more. The ore was chiefly “white ore,” many nodules of which are 
still exposed in the bottom and cropping out on the sides. Imme¬ 
diately adjoining this opening on the east is another, 150 feet in 
diameter; and a hundred yards to the northeast is a third, 300 by 
100 feet and 25 feet deep. There were also a number of smaller 
openings on this property. These banks were formerly worked 
very extensively, and as high as fifty to sixty men are said to have 
worked there at one time; but nothing has been done during the 
last twenty years. 

Brown Ore Banks [190].—One-half mile south of Hanover, are 
two large banks, which formerly belonged to the Great Falls Iron 
Company, and later to Howard Brown, when they were worked 
on a royalty by various operators until about 1890. These banks 
are described in the Tenth Census, at which time they were in 
operation. The easterly opening 1 extends from the west bank of 
Deep Run a distance of 600 feet to the west, is 100 feet wide, and 
from 20 to 50 feet deep. At the time of the Census Report it was 
operated by Mitchell, Wilson, and Riley. The following section 
was then exposed: 5 to 8 feet of soil, sand, and gravel; 5 to 15 feet 
of light brown, somewhat siliceous clay, containing nodules of car¬ 
bonate ore of the same color as the clay, and also somewhat sili¬ 
ceous; and below that, a drab gray plastic clay, with nodules of 
white or light gray carbonate ore, of very fine texture, without the 
siliceous appearance of the nodules of the upper part. 

The nodules of the lower bed yielded 37.87 per cent. Fe and 
.063 per cent. P., those of the upper bed 36.17 per cent. Fe and 
.049 per cent. P. 

The other opening 1 lies one hundred yards to the southwest and 
extends 500 feet along a north-south strike. It is 200 feet wide 
and 50 to 75 feet deep. The thickness of the various beds is quite 
different in different parts of the mine. The following section is 
given for this opening: 5 to 10 feet of yellowish sand, and yellow 
and white quartz gravel; 5 to 10 feet of red, somewhat sandy clay; 
i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 253. 


278 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


0 to 12 feet of dark red clay with sticks and lumps of charcoal; 
brown stiff plastic clay, with impure carbonate nodules having a 
reddish-brown tinge; and 15 to 30 feet of bluish-gray plastic clay 
with nodules of carbonate ore of a light gray color, very fine grained, 
and often with a highly conchoidal fracture. 

The lower nodules yielded 38.48 per cent. Fe and .025 per cent. 
P., and the upper nodules 36.10 per cent. Fe and .040 per cent. P. 

These two banks are the northwestern extension into Howard 
County of a large area along Piney Run in Anne Arundel County, 
known as Timber Heck, which is described in the following pages. 

Anne Arundel County. 

In Anne Arundel County, the ores of the Arundel formation have 
been worked at many points along the entire northwestern edge of 
the county from the Patapsco River to the Patuxent River. In this 
whole region, the area south of Hanover, known as Timber Heck, 
stands out pre-eminently as the greatest producer. In the following 
descriptions, the ore banks are taken up successively from north¬ 
east to southwest. 

Garey Ore Bank [191].—Two miles northeast of Patapsco Sta¬ 
tion, on property now belonging to Mr. O. R. Benson, Mr. Joseph 
B. Garey got out four carloads of ore in the winter of 1910, and 
shipped it to Muirkirk from Landsdowne. The bank is located on 
the west side of a small stream emptying into the Patapsco River, 
very close to the river, and was worked along a low bluff for a dis¬ 
tance of 100 feet. The overburden is about twelve feet, and Mr. 
Garey said he had three beds of ore aggregating nearly two feet in 
thickness. 

Ruth Ore Bank [192].—This bank is on the property of Mr. J. 
R. Ruth, a mile and three-quarters northeast of Patapsco Station, 
on the east side of a ravine, along which it has been worked for a 
distance of 200 feet or more. It is an old bank which was re¬ 
opened in the winter of 1910 by Mr. Joseph B. Garey, but was 
soon abandoned, as he found it too wet to work to advantage. 
There is an overburden of 18 feet of sand and gravel, below which 
“white ore” nodules occur in clay. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


279 


Benson Ore Banks [193].—A mile and a quarter northeast of 
Patapsco Station are two ore banks, on the land of Mr. Joseph Ben¬ 
son. They were worked until about 1890, at which time they were 
owned by Mr. Daniel M. Reese, and worked for him on royalties. 
One bank is 300 by 100 feet, and the other, to the southeast, 200 
by 60 feet. 

Soper Hall Ore Banks [194].—These ore banks occupy a con¬ 
siderable area one mile northeast of Patapsco Station, extending on 
both sides of the road for a distance of about 800 feet, and almost 
as far back from the road on the south side. They have been 
worked over a long period. About thirty years ago, the property 
was owned and worked by George Bowers and Adam Giltz; and 
as late as ten years ago by Charles Hieder. 

Hollins Ore Bank [195].—One mile south of Patapsco Station, 
on Mr. William Smith’s place, is an opening 100 by 30 feet and 
about 8 feet deep now, from which ore was taken about thirty years 
ago by Samuel Hollin, at which time the property was part of the 
Gaither estate. 

Randel Ore Bank [196].—On the property of Mr. George Ran- 
del, three-quarters of a mile southeast of Elkridge, is an opening 
150 feet in diameter, and 20 feet deep. 

Crook Ore Bank [197].—On Crook’s Hill, one mile southeast of 
Elkridge, at the head of a ravine on Mr. Samuel Crook’s farm, is 
a very old opening, the sides of which are now so washed in that 
it can hardly be distinguished from the natural topography. This 
and the preceding bank were worked for the Elkridge furnace, and 
they have not been operated since that furnace shut down in 1872. 

German Ore Bank [198].—One mile south of Elkridge are two 
openings owned and formerly worked by Mr. T. S. German. One 
is 150 by 50 feet, and just south of it is the other, 200 by 30 feet. 
Ore was last shipped from these to the Cedar Point furnace. The 
banks have since been worked for paint ore, and a small opening was 
also made for paint ore on the top of the hill south of Mr. German’s 
house. 


•380 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Plumbmer Ore Banks [199].—A mile and a half southeast of 
Elkridge are three ore banks formerly worked by the Plnmbmer 
brothers. The most northerly one, now belonging to Mr. William 
Fairbanks, is 150 by 200 feet, and about 20 feet deep, and 
was worked by the Plumbmer brothers for a period of ten years 
until about ten years ago. Both iron ore and paint ore were ob¬ 
tained. Mr. Fairbanks has since then worked a bed of paint ore 
for a distance of several hundred yards around his house, where 
it occurs close to the surface. This is about three hundred yards 
west of the old ore bank. 

The other two banks are now owned by Mr. G. P. Harmon. One 
is 50 feet in diameter, and the other southwest of it is 100 by 80 
feet. These were opened about forty years ago by Meyer Bowles, 
and later owned and worked by the Plumbmers. 

Smith Ore Bank [200].—One-half mile northwest of Stony Run 
is an ore bank on Miss Amelia Smith’s farm, 100 feet in 
diameter, which was worked by her brother about thirty years ago. 
This was so near the level of Stony Run that it was too wet, and 
hence was never worked very much. 

Timber Neck Ore Banks [201].—These ore banks occur on both 
sides of Piney Run, a mile southeast of Hanover, extending for a dis¬ 
tance of half a mile along the Run and reaching a maximum width 
of nearly half a mile, and have in places been worked to a depth of 
over 50 feet. Ho other area in the State of equal size has been so ex¬ 
tensively worked, the entire tract consisting of iron ore openings and 
the dumps from them, so that when viewed from the rim of the open¬ 
ings the effect is that of typical “bad lands.” 

The entire area was formerly owned by the Great Falls Iron 
Company and later by Howard Brown, owners of the furnace at 
Elkridge. In recent years the property has been divided up and 
sold to various people. There are also several other openings just 
outside the limits of this area which belonged to the same prop¬ 
erty. At the southwest end, are several small ones; and on the 
west side is a larger opening extending for a distance of 200 yards 
along the south side of the county road. The two large banks in 


Maryland Geological Survey 


281 


Howard County described on a preceding page also belonged to this 
tract. These were very old banks and were worked on a large scale un¬ 
til about twenty years ago, yielding chiefly “white ore.” Plate XXI 
shows the occurrence of the nodules of ore in the clays at one of 
the openings. In recent years a little gouging has been done off 
and on, and in the winter of 1910 several carloads of ore were 
shipped to Muirkirk by negroes who worked in the banks on the 
portion of the tract now belonging to Mr. Charles A. Brauer. Mr. 
Brauer has also worked the banks on his property for paint ore, 
and has made several small openings for paint ore on the south side. 
The northern portion of the area belongs to Mr. William Dagler, 
who is now working the old banks for clay and paint ore. 

Lafey Ore Bank [202].—Three-quarters of a mile southwest of 
Hanover, on property owned by Mr. Michael Lafey, is an old open¬ 
ing 150 feet in diameter. A hundred and fifty yards southwest of 
it is a small opening made recently by Mr. Lafey for paint ore. 

Anderson Ore Bank [203].—There is a small ore bank, 50 by 30 
feet and 10 feet deep, three-quarters of a mile east of Dorsey, be¬ 
longing to Mr. Bruner Anderson. 

Dorsey Ore Banks [204].—A half mile east of Dorsey, on the 
Dorsey property, is a large opening 450 by 200 feet and 30 feet 
deep, and between it and the road two smaller ones. These were 
opened thirty-five to forty years ago by Valentine Riemsnyder and 
Robert Hood, who worked them on a royalty of 50c. per ton for 
several years. They were later worked by Frederick Sliver and 
Henry Marsh. The ore was sent chiefly to Reese’s furnaces in Bal¬ 
timore, and some also to the Ste mm er Run furnace. 

Disney Ore Bank [205].—This bank, now owned by Mr. Lynn 
Tubbs, is 100 by 30 feet by 20 feet deep, and was opened over 
twenty years ago by Valentine Riemsnyder on the property of Wil¬ 
liam Disney. It lies three-quarters of a mile southeast of Dorsey. 
During the winter of 1910 Frank Franklin (colored) again worked 
in it for a while and got out about 60 tons of ore. It is a nodular 
limonite, but many of the nodules still have a core of “white ore.” 



282 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


The ore is of low grade, being too siliceous, and the bank was soon 
abandoned. 

Harmon Ore Bank [206].—One mile southeast of Dorsey is a 
bank 150 feet in diameter, on the property of Mr. Bruner Ander¬ 
son. This was owned and worked by Dennis Harmon about fifty 
years ago. 

Ellicott Ore Bank [207].—One mile southeast of Montevideo is 
an area 1500 feet long, and several hundred feet wide, which has 
been worked for ore. This property was owned in the early part 
of the nineteenth century by the Ellicotts, owners of the Patuxent 
furnace, and worked for them on royalties. Since that time only 
occasional gouging has been done. 

Goldivine Ore Bank [208].—On Mr. T. J. Groldwine’s property, 
a mile and a half east of Jessup, is an opening about 200 feet in 
diameter, which was owned and worked by John Smith in the first 
half of the nineteenth century. 

Bennett Ore Bank [209].—About forty years ago, James Fisher 
took out some ore on Mrs. Bennett’s farm, one mile east of Jessup, 
which he sent to Muirkirk. There is one opening 100 by 20 feet, 
and several smaller prospect holes nearby. 

Linthicum Ore Banks [210].—Two large banks and several 
smaller openings are on the property of Hon. J. Charles Linthicum, 
one mile southeast of Jessup. One opening is about 250 by 100 feet; 
and the other, to the south of it, 400 feet in diameter, and they were 
worked to a depth of 30 feet. At the time they were most exten¬ 
sively worked, they belonged to Dr. A. S. Linthicum, who obtained 
a royalty of 50c. per ton. As high as thirty to forty men were en¬ 
gaged in mining here, and the weekly output ran from 40 to 60 
tons. The output in 1880 is given at 2200 tons. The upper part 
of the banks yielded hematite containing 46.79 per cent. Fe; 1 and 
the bottom, nodules of carbonate ore with 37.60 per cent. Fe. The 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 251. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


283 


product went mostly to the furnaces at Baltimore, and some to 
Muirkirk. They have not been worked for more than fifteen years. 

Hobbs Ore Banks [211].—Two hanks were worked for some years 
by George Hobbs, on property now belonging to the House of Cor¬ 
rection, a mile and a quarter south of Jessup. They were aban¬ 
doned about the same time as the Linthicum banks. The bank ad¬ 
joining the road is 150 feet in diameter, and the one back of it 300 
feet long, from 80 to 100 feet wide, and 25 feet deep. 

Brown and King Ore Banks [212].—One-half mile southeast of 
Annapolis Junction is an ore bank belonging to Mr. Payton Brown, 
250 feet long and having a maximum width of 100 feet. This 
was last worked extensively by James Brien fifteen years ago, and 
the ore shipped to the Ellicotts’ furnaces in Baltimore. In the 
middle of the bank a clay pillar ten feet high was left standing, 
consisting of a gray clay with nodules of limonite. 

Adjoining this opening on the north is an old hank 150 by 100 
feet, owned by Mr. Thomas King. This was reopened hy him 
about thirty-five years ago and worked off and on for about twenty 
years, the ore going mostly to Muirkirk. Others also worked in 
the bank on royalties during that period, so that according to Mr. 
King the output ranged from 60 to 70 tons per month. 

Skully Ore Bank [213].—Two miles and a half east of Laurel, 
on the property of Mr. Lloyd Dorsey, is an ore bank 100 by 50 
feet with a smaller one 25 feet in diameter adjoining it. About 
two hundred yards southwest of these, prospect holes were put down 
in the fall of 1909, in which ore was found. This was limonite 
with frequently a center of carbonate. These banks were first 
worked by the Ellicotts for the Patuxent furnace, but never to any 
great extent. In 1858, the property was bought by Mr. Dorsey, 
and the banks worked by James Skully on a royalty of 40c. per ton; 
and later, about eight years ago, by Daniel Henderson (colored). 
The ore was said to be too irregular in its occurrence to make suc¬ 
cessful mining possible. 


284 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Priest Deposit [214].—A little gouging was also done some years 
ago just north of the county road a little over a half mile south¬ 
west of the Skully Ore Bank, on land belonging to a Mr. Priest of 
Pennsylvania. Two carloads are said to have been shipped. 

Ties Ore Bank [215].—A mile and a half east of Laurel, at 
Ties’ Brickyard, Mr. John W. Smith is mining ore which he ships 
to Muirkirk. He is working in the clay bank of the brickyard, and 
pays a royalty of 40c. per ton. A 15-foot face is exposed, showing 
limonite nodules of all sizes, with frequently a center of “white 
ore.” Working alone he can get out as much as six tons a week. 

Tyson Ore Banks [216].—A mile and a half east of Laurel, and 
a third of a mile south of the Ties Ore Bank, is an area several 
hundred yards long, and from 100 to 200 feet wide, which was 
worked years ago, when it was part of the Tyson property. 

Waters Ore Bank [217].—Two miles and a quarter southeast of 
Laurel, on Mr. George W. Waters’ property, are two small open¬ 
ings with three to four feet of overburden of sand and gravel in 
which Mr. Samuel Chaney worked a little year before last. 

Rose Ore Bank [218].—On property formerly owned by a Rev. 
John Rose, one mile northwest of Patuxent, is a bank 200 by 400 
feet, and now 25 feet deep. This was opened thirty-five years ago, 
and worked on a royalty by Thomas Skully and Lemuel Gaylor. 
It was worked very extensively for a while, and according to Mr. 
Claude Welch, they paid a royalty of $400 a month. That must 
represent an exceptional output, however, as it would mean about 
1,000 tons a month. The bank was last worked about eight years 
ago by Mr. John W. Smith and Daniel Henderson (colored). Dur¬ 
ing the winter of 1910 it was again prospected and ore exposed but 
no work done. 

Sydicum Ore Bank [219].—One-half mile northwest of Patux¬ 
ent, on the same property as the Rose Ore Bank, is a small opening 
100 by 30 feet worked on royalty about twenty-five years ago by a 
Mr. Sydicum. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


285 


Welch Ore Bank [220].—One mile west of Patuxent, on Mr. 
Claude Welch’s farm, is an opening 200 by 70 feet which was 
worked about fifteen years ago, and the ore at first shipped to Bal¬ 
timore, and later to Muirkirk. 

Berkley Ore Bank [221].—On the property of Mrs. Andrew 
Berkley, two miles south of Patuxent, is a bank 150 by 70 feet, which 
was worked for several years about fifteen years ago. 

Rieve Ore Bank [222].—Across the county road from the Berk¬ 
ley Ore Bank is a bank 100 feet in diameter belonging to Mr. Theo. 
Rieve, which has not been worked for over twenty-five years. 

Gosweiler Ore Bank [223].—On Mr. Theo. Rieve’s place, two 
miles and a quarter southwest of Patuxent, is a bank 100 by 50 feet, 
which was worked over twenty years ago by Solomon Gosweiler, and 
the ore shipped to Baltimore. He is said to have worked quite ex¬ 
tensively for a while, employing from fifteen to twenty men. 

Prince George's County. 

In Prince George’s County, as in Anne Arundel County, the area 
within which the Arundel ores have been worked forms a belt 
running across the north end of the County parallel to the Baltimore 
and Ohio Railroad, and lying mostly to the east of the railroad. 
Though this belt extends from the Patuxent River to the District of 
Columbia, here again one portion, the immediate neighborhood of 
Muirkirk and Contee, at the northeastern end, stands out as having 
been by far the most important. 

Kirwan Ore Bank [224].—A mile and a half northwest of Con- 
tee, on Mr. O. L. Kirwan’s farm, about two and a half acres were 
worked by the former owner, a Mr. Louthan. During the winter of 
1910 a little gouging was done, for which Mr. Kirwan obtained a 
royalty of 50c. 

A mile and a half southeast of this ore bank, on the south side 
of the county road, some prospecting was done about five years 
ago, on the property of a Mr. Hill of Washington; but the holes 
have since been filled in and ploughed over without any further 


286 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


work being done, so that the indications were probably not very 
favorable. 

Nicholson Ore Bank [225].—On Mr. 1ST. F. Nicholson’s place, a 
mile and a quarter northwest of Contee, an area about 100 feet 
square was worked over chiefly by gouging some years ago, for 
which Mr. Nicholson obtained a royalty of 35c. per ton. 

Ore Banks One Mile Northwest of Contee [226].—One mile 
northwest of Contee, on both sides of the county road, for a distance 
of about 1500 feet, is a series of ore banks which were worked 
before and during the Civil War, and again to a considerable ex¬ 
tent in the winter of 1910 on royalties of 35c. to 40c. per ton. 
Mr. Mitchell, the owner of a portion of this tract, said that during 
the Civil War he obtained as high as 75c. per ton royalty. Most 
of the recent openings are very small, the method apparently hav¬ 
ing been to prospect for a rich pocket, and as soon as it was worked 
out to locate another. The openings on the north side of the road 
are chiefly on the property of Mrs. L. Burk, but the west end be¬ 
longs to Mr. L. Bashears. On the south side, they are chiefly on the 
property of Mr. F. B. Mitchell, but the west end is on that of Mr. 
N. F. Nicholson. 

California Ore Banks [227].—One-half mile southwest of Con¬ 
tee is an area from 200 to 300 yards in diameter, within which are 
a number of openings, known as the California Banks. The elec¬ 
tric line from Washington to Laurel passes through this tract, and 
at the east end is an abandoned brickyard. The ore banks are on 
the brickyard property and on Mr. William Gibbins’ place. These 
banks were last worked eleven years ago by William H. Hebron 
(colored). Mr. Charles E. Coffin paid the royalty of 30c. per ton, 
and hauled the ore to his furnace at Muirkirk, and paid Hebron 
$2.50 per ton for mining the ore. The ore was chiefly limonite. 

O’hrien Ore Banks [228].—There are several acres of old work¬ 
ings a quarter of a mile south of Contee, on the property of Mr. 
Charles Hooff. These were owned and worked until about sixteen 
years ago by James O’brien. The output for 1880, 1 when they 


i Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 251. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


287 


were no longer worked on as large a scale as formerly, is given at 
800 tons, which was shipped to Baltimore. Prospecting was again 
done here in 1910. 

Hooff Ore Banks [229].—On Mr. Charles TIooff’s property, a 
quarter of a mile southeast of Contee, is another somewhat smaller 
area of old workings in which two new banks were opened in the 
fall of 1909. One of these worked by Mr. John Brien is 75 by 25 
feet and 12 feet deep. East of this is a somewhat smaller one 
worked by Mr. Charles Englhardt. He pays a royalty of 40c. per 
ton, and 50c. per ton for hauling to Muirkirk. 

Allan Ore Banks [230].—On Mr. B. Allan’s place, a half mile 
east of Contee, is an area of old workings about 1500 feet long and 
800 feet wide. There are three large openings, one of them 350 
by 150 feet, and a large number of small ones. Judging from the 
character of the dumps and from the size of the trees on them and 
in the openings, some of them must be very old. In the fall of 
1909 prospecting was done at several points; but in one of the 
openings still well exposed, there were only two very thin layers of 
nodules to be seen. 

Shriver Ore Bank [231].—There are a number of old openings 
on both sides of the secondary road for a distance of 1000 feet on 
Mr. J. H. Shriver’s place, three-quarters of a mile southeast of 
Contee. During the winter of 1910 Mr. Shriver’s son opened up a 
new bank at the west end, north of the road in which he has an 
eighteen-inch ledge of ore covered with about six feet of overburden. 

Roberts Ore Bank [232].—Further west, along the same sec¬ 
ondary road as the Shriver Ore Bank, are two areas of old banks, 
on Mr. William Roberts’ property, about three-quarters of a mile 
south of Contee. The first of these extends along both sides of the 
road for 1000 feet, and ore was mined there again in 1910. The 
other, about two hundred yards further west, lies mostly on the 
south side of the road, and is about 1500 feet long. This road is 
known as the “Old Iron Ore” road, and was made especially for 
hauling the ore to Muirkirk. It comes out on the Baltimore and 
Washington turnpike about a half mile north of Muirkirk. 


288 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Ore Banks One-Half Mile East of Muirkirk [233].— There are 
two small banks one-half mile east of Muirkirk, 25 by 75 feet and 
10 by 40 feet respectively, concerning which no details were ob¬ 
tained. 

Duvall Ore Banks [234].—Three-quarters of a mile southeast of 
Muirkirk is a tract of old workings over 300 yards long and 200 
yards wide, on Mrs. C. P. Duvall’s property, which have been 
worked for years. Work was done here in the winter of 1910 by 
tunneling into the old openings. 

Milbrook Ore Bank [235].—One mile east of Muirkirk is a 
three-acre opening, filled with water, belonging to Mr. John Mil- 
brook. On the east side of it is a small opening made by Mr. Mil- 
brook in the spring of 1910 from which he obtained 50 tons of 
ore. The old bank was worked in 1863 by Carl Milbrook for 
George Burroughs, and later for Mr. Charles E. Coffin, for the 
furnace at Muirkirk. The ore was a good grade of limonite oc¬ 
curring in nodules weighing as much as several tons each. The 
overburden was about six feet. 

Friel Ore Bank [236].—One mile southeast of Muirkirk is an 
opening 300 by 100 feet filled with water, which was worked until 
about 1880 by Pat. Friel and Carl Milbrook for Mr. Charles E. 
Coffin, who leased the ore rights from Miss Tyson. 

Tyson Ore Banks [237].—A mile and a quarter southeast of 
Muirkirk, near the head of Beaverdam Creek, on Miss Tyson’s 
place, are five large ore banks, besides a number of smaller ones. 
On the west side of the creek is an opening 600 by 200 feet, and 
south of it another of irregular shape about 100 yards in diameter. 
On the east side are three openings. Near the road is a narrow 
one about 100 yards long; a hundred yards south of this is one 600 
by 200 feet, and to the southeast, a third, 200 by 150 feet. Many 
of the smaller holes were made in the spring of 1910, when the 
work was done on a royalty of 40c. per ton. When these banks were 
formerly worked on a large scale, the property was leased by the 
owners of the furnace at Muirkirk, and worked for them. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


289 


Green Ore Banks [238].—On a Mr. Green’s property, a mile 
and a half southeast of Muirkirk, is an old opening 150 by 100 
feet, and several smaller ones. These were worked again in the 
spring and winter of 1910 by Mr. Green by means of tunnels 
and shafts. The ore occurs in gray clay containing a great deal 
of lignitized wood. The nodules tend to coalesce into bands, the 
interiors of which are usually carbonate ore, and the exterior weath¬ 
ered to limonite. 

Ashland Ore Bank [239].—A quarter of a mile south of the 
Green Ore Bank is a large bank 300 by 200 feet and 30 feet deep, 
known as the Ashland Bank. It has not been worked for some years. 

John Sadilek Ore Banks [240].—Two miles and a half east of 
Muirkirk are two ore banks belonging to Mr. John Sadilek. The 
one north of his house is an old bank. The other, about one hun¬ 
dred yards west of his house, he opened in the winter of 1910, and 
mined about 70 tons of ore. The ore is both “white ore” and 
limonite, the former with a limonite shell. The ore bearing clay 
here comes to the surface, so that there is practically no overburden. 

Joseph Sadilek Ore Bank [241].—On property now owned by 
Mr. John Sadilek, and a quarter of a mile southwest of his banks, 
is a bank about 50 feet in diameter, which was worked by Joseph 
Sadilek in the winters of 1882 to 1885, producing a little over 100 
tons of ore. 

Haker Ore Bank [242].—Three miles southeast of Muirkirk, 
Henry Haker worked a bank on his place for a year, about seven¬ 
teen years ago. As the ore was of too low grade the bank was soon 
abandoned, and is now nearly filled in. 

Swampoodle Ore Banks [243].—Two miles east of Beltsville, on 
property now owned by Mr. George Donaldson and Mr. Charles 
E. Coffin, is an area about three-quarters of a mile long and a quar¬ 
ter of a mile wide, known as “Swampoodle,” in which there are a 
number of very large openings, besides many smaller ones, giving 
evidence of large scale operations at one time. These banks were 
worked from very early times until about six years ago. 


290 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Donaldson Ore Banks [244].—A quarter of a mile west of the 
Swampoodle Ore Banks, on Mr. George Donaldson’s property, is an 
opening about 200 feet in diameter, with several smaller openings 
nearby, which he worked for about fifteen years until six years ago. 
At first he shipped the ore to the Stickney furnaces in Baltimore, 
receiving $4.00 per ton on the cars at Beltsville. At that time he 
employed from twelve to fourteen men and from two to six carts, 
and said he could calculate on one ton of ore per man daily. Later 
the ore was sent to Muirkirk. 

Mason Ore Banks [245].—A quarter of a mile south of the Don¬ 
aldson Ore Banks are two other ore banks, which were worked ex¬ 
tensively until about twenty years ago, first by K. B. Mason, and 
later by Mr. George Donaldson, and the ore shipped to Baltimore 
furnaces. On the east side of the secondary road is an irregular 
shaped opening 400 by 100 feet, and on the west side one 700 by 
200 feet filled with water. 

A quarter of a mile southeast of here, on the south side of the 
county road, is a small shallow opening 100 by 10 feet, which is 
so old as to be scarcely noticeable. There was apparently never 
anything more than a little gouging done here. 

Jones Ore Bank [246].—Two miles west of Bowie, Luther D. 
Jones worked a bank on his place about twenty years ago. It is a 
small opening along the road about 150 feet long, and extending 
back twenty-five feet. Several pieces of limonite are still scattered 
about, resembling the “shell ore” formed by weathering of carbonate 
nodules. Though this locality is some distance east of the Arun¬ 
del outcrops, the ore is of the same type; and this and the locality 
next described, which is also outside of the Arundel area, may be 
classed with these ores. 

Hedgman Ore Banks [247].—Two and a quarter miles east of 
Branchville are two small openings, belonging to Mr. J. 1ST. S. Hedg- 
man. One is 70 by 30 feet, and the other east of it 50 by 30 feet. 
Ho further information was obtained in regard to these, and no 
ore was visible. 


Maryland Geological Survey 


291 


Buck Ore Bank [248].—A half mile north of Branchville is a 
bank 100 by 50 feet in area, on the property of Mr. M. H. Buck. 
No ore is now visible and the sides consist of sand and gravel. No 
further details were obtained regarding this opening. 

Skaggs Ore Bank [249].—A quarter of a mile southeast of 
Branchville is a bank worked until about twenty-five years ago by 
Geo. L. Skaggs and Robert Burgess, on land belonging to Mr. 
Thomas Walker. This bank is 120 by 75 feet, and 11 feet deep. 
It is mentioned in the Tenth Census Report, 1 when the output 
was 50 tons per week and was sent to Baltimore furnaces. A sam¬ 
ple of the ore showed 40.85 per cent. Re and .060 per cent. P. The 
ore occurs in a stiff bluish clay, in the lower portion of which are 
nodules composed wholly of “white ore,” and in the upper portion 
nodules of “white ore” with limonite shells. Above the ore-bearing 
clay is a thin layer of ferruginous gravel and clay, and above this 
about two feet of sandy loam. 

Reed Ore Bank [250].—A quarter mile east of Branchville is 
an opening 100 by 25 feet which was worked about twenty-five-years 
ago. 


The Hematites. 

THE RED HEMATITES OF ALLEGANY COUNTY. 

The red hematites of the Appalachian area occur in the Clinton 
formation and are generally called the Clinton ores. These ores are 
widely distributed throughout the eastern United States, being prac¬ 
tically co-extensive with the Clinton formation. 

In New York State, they occur in a belt extending from the east¬ 
ern-central part of the State to the Niagara River. They again be¬ 
come prominent in central and south-central Pennsylvania, from 
where they extend into Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. 
They are also well developed in eastern Tennessee, the northwest 
corner of Georgia and in northeastern Alabama. Besides these ex- 


l Tenth Census, 1880, Vol. XV, p. 248. 


t 



292 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


tensive occurrences, they are found in eastern Wisconsin and in 
southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. All of these deposits have 
been worked to some extent but the most extensive work has been 
done in the Birmingham district of Alabama, where the ores attain 
their highest economic development. 

Distribution of the Clinton Formation in Maryland. 

With the exception of two small outcrops in Washington County, 
west of Hancock, which are of no economic importance, the Clin¬ 
ton rocks are confined in Maryland to Allegany County. They are 
exposed in narrow belts flanking three anticlinal folds forming 
Wills, Tussey and Evitts mountains. 

Wills Mountain Area. —The westernmost area of exposure of 
these rocks is on the flanks of the hills of the Wills Mountain anti¬ 
cline which extends across Allegany County in a N. 30° E. direc¬ 
tion just west of Cumberland. On account of a pitch to the south 
of the fold, the two belts of outcrop coalesce at Cresaptown and 
extend southward as one belt. The character of the fold corre¬ 
sponds to the usual Appalachian structure, being overturned to the 
west. Hence the outcrop on the west is much narrower than on the 
east side. The width of the western belt is about 200 yards and 
of the eastern 400 yards. The length of the outcrop in this area 
is about twenty-four miles. 

Evitts Mountain Area. —The Evitts Mountain area lies about 
five miles east of the Wills Mountain. The outcrops in this area 
also conform to the general Appalachian direction of N. 30° E. 
The two belts of outcrops coalesce 2*4 miles south of the Pennsyl¬ 
vania line and extend only two miles beyond this, so that the area 
of outcrop in Maryland is considerably smaller than that along 
Wills Mountain. The overturn to the west makes the average width 
of the outcrops about the same as in the belt to the west. The 
length of the outcrops is about nine miles. 

Tussey Mountain Area. —Eour miles east of the Evitts Moun¬ 
tain area is the Tussey Mountain area. Again the characteristic 


Maryland Geological Survey 


293 


Appalachian trend is shown. The two belts of outcrops coalesce 
within a half mile of the State line and extend southward in a 
single belt for a distance of two miles. Due to flattening of the dip 
and a forking fold at the nose of the anticline, the area of outcrop 
is about the same as in the Evitts Mountain region, but the length 
of the outcrop is less than seven miles. 


Stratigraphic Position of the Clinton Rocks. 

The Clinton formation is the middle member of the Silurian 
system of rocks. The commonly recognized divisions of the Silur¬ 
ian in Marvland are: 

1/ 

Tonoloway. 

Wills Creek. 

McKenzie. 

Clinton. 

Tuscarora (White Medina). 

Character of the Clinton Rocks. 

The Clinton rocks consist essentially of reddish to grayish olive 
shales, the exposed surfaces of which show a deep scarlet color. 
Thin sandstone bands are irregularly distributed throughout the for¬ 
mation. Near the bottom these sandstone bands become much more 
numerous and grade into the Tuscarora quartzite. These thin bands 
were originally more calcareous than at present and are more fos- 
siliferous than the shales. Toward the top of the formation thin 
limestone bands take the place of the sandstone. The top of the 
formation is marked by a heavy quartzitic sandstone which grades 
into a siliceous limestone above, part of which has been replaced to 
form an iron ore bed. This sandstone thickens rapidly toward 
the east, increasing from seven feet at Pinto to nearly seventy feet 
in some of the eastern exposures. Another ore horizon which oc¬ 
curs from 120 to 160 feet above the bottom of the formation at 
times reaches a thickness of over thirty feet. The total thickness 
of the formation varies from 500 to 600 feet. 


294 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


The following sections of the Clinton formation are taken from 
the manuscript of Dr. W. F. Prouty’s Dissertation on the Niagara 
and Clinton formations. The Cumberland section is exposed in Wills 
Gap at the western edge of Cumberland on the eastern limb of the 
Wills Mountain anticline. The Six-Mile House section on the 
Evitts Mountain anticline is compiled from exposures on three 
separate roads near the Six-Mile House. One road leaving the 
Cumberland Road at the Six-Mile House and running northwest 
shows exposures of middle to lower Clinton. The other two roads 
forking to the south from the Cumberland Road west of the Six- 
Mile House show upper Clinton exposures. 

SECTION OF CLINTON FORMATION IN WILLS MOUNTAIN, 

CUMBERLAND. 


Feet. Inches. 

Grayish olive shales, with interbedded grayish blue lime¬ 
stone. Two limestone layers 4 and 9 feet from the bottom 

are especially fossiliferous. (Niagara). 35 

Gray quartzitic sandstone, at top containing a bed of iron 

ore 6 inches thick. 11 - 

Olive to gray shale, with thin limestone layers, mostly con¬ 
cealed . 87 _ 

Rusty argillaceous shale. 24 _ 

Concealed . 158 .... 

Olive argillaceous shale stained with red, with several bands 

of very fossiliferous sandstone near the bottom. 53 .... 

Dark colored shale more fissile than above and containing a 

great number of poorly preserved bryozoa. 9 .... 

Light rusty olive argillaceous shale. 18 _ 

Iron sandstone. 4 _ 

Interbedded olive green to gray shale. 4 

Iron sandstone. 5 8 

Rusty olive to gray fossiliferous shale, growing more fossil¬ 
iferous toward the top. 102 .... 

Rusty shale at top, uneven bands of gray sandstone at 

bottom, interstratified with rusty olive shale. 36 .... 

Olive to gray shale, with thin bands of brownish gray 
quartzite, more quartzitic near bottom. 27 .... 


SECTION OF CLINTON FORMATION, EVITTS MOUNTAIN, 

SIX-MILE HOUSE. 

Feet. Inches. 

Shales and interbedded grayish blue limestones. 35 .... 

Massive sandstones, with 3 or 4 inch bed of ore at the top... 18 

Greenish to red shales, with sandstone and limestone bands. 50 

Olive more or less rusty shales, with sandstone bands which 

thicken toward the top. 184 _ 

Dark colored shales, with thin sandstone layers and many 
poorly preserved bryozoa. 10 _ 



















Maryland Geological Survey 295 

Feet. Inches. 

Hackly arenaceous greenish to brown shales. 6 - 

Olive rusty argillaceous shales. 43 .... 

Concealed. 27 .... 

Dark colored shales, with sandstones in thin layers. 18 - 

Rusty olive argillaceous shale, with fossiliferous sandstone 

layers . 23 - 

Iron ore in two bands, separated by shale parting, average 

thickness . 4 .... 

Olive and often rusty argillaceous shales. 65 - 


Description of the Clinton Ores. 

The Clinton ores consist of red or brownish red amorphous 
hematite. They occur at two horizons, each of which has its 
characteristic ore. Both of the ores appear oolitic, but the upper 
ore which occurs at the top of the Clinton is very fossiliferous; 
whereas, the lower ore which occurs at from 120 to 160 feet above 
the base of the Clinton carries but few fossils. 

Upper Clinton Ore. — The thickness of the ore at different 
points is variable, as may be seen from the following observations: 

At Pinto along the B. & O. Railroad the upper ore is repre¬ 
sented as a mere trace. 

In the railroad cut south of Brady, the ore is five inches thick 
and is underlain by an eight-inch sandy and shaly ferruginous bed. 

At Rose Hill the ore has a thickness of nine inches. 

In Wills Gap at Cumberland the thickness is six inches. The 
ore is here underlain by about two feet of siliceous limestone. Be¬ 
low this is a thin layer of shale and then the heavy quartzitic sand¬ 
stone. 

In the Evitts Mountain area there are several exposures of thi3 
ore and they show from three to four inches in thickness. • 

In the Tussey Mountain area no exposures of the upper ore oc¬ 
cur which can be measured. 

The physical character of the ore is as follows: 

The structure of the ore is both fossiliferous and oolitic. In some 
specimens the two structures are equally prominent, in others the 
fossiliferous predominates. 

The principal fossils ocurring in the ore are bryozoa, crinoid stems 
and brachiopods. In general these fossils are completely replaced 









296 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


bj the hematite; many of the forms, however, still show the original 
calcium carbonate of the shell preserved. 

The oolites are spherical or somewhat flattened particles and ap¬ 
pear to be solid hematite. When the ore is dissolved in hydrochloric 
acid, it is seen, however, that these particles have a grain of quartz 
as a nucleus which is surrounded by a number of concentric chal- 
cedonic layers. 

Some of the ore, especially that on the east side of Wills Moun¬ 
tain from Wills Gap northward, has pieces of galena disseminated 
through it. 

In addition to the calcium carbonate preserved in some of the 
fossils, small patches of calcite are sometimes scattered through the 
ore. There are also patches of unreplaced very impure limestone 
remaining in the ore. Some of these have had their interior dis¬ 
solved out and either contain minute stalactites of calcium car¬ 
bonate or are completely filled with calcite. The contact between 
the ore and the underlying limestone is well shown at the Wills 
Gap section. It is by no means a sharply defined contact but string¬ 
ers of the ore extend into the limestone and gradually die out. 

The chemical composition of the ore is shown in the following 
anaylsis in comparison with an analysis of the underlying lime¬ 
stone : 

ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM WILLS GAP. 

Upper Ore. 


Fe . 37.37 

SiOo . 15.05 

A1o0 3 . 9.89 

CaO . 9.09 

MgO .93 

Mn .30 

S .06 

P .51 

Ignition . 10.41 

Limestone. 

Fe . 9.38 

Si0 2 . 38.04 

ALO 3 . 2.77 

CaO . 17.40 

MgO . 5.78 

Mn .50 

S.22 

P .08 

Ignition . 23.04 




















Maryland Geological Survey 


297 


It is thus seen that, as is usually the case with the Clinton ores, 
the phosphorus is above the Bessemer limit. The sulphur is low 
as is also the manganese, which is about the usual manganese con¬ 
tent of the Clinton ores. The iron content is about the same as the 
average ore mined in Alabama and only about two per cent, below 
the average of the Hew York ores. 

Lower Clinton Ore. —The thickness of the lower ore bed has 
been observed as follows: 

Along the B. & O. R. R. near Pinto, east of the cement mill, the 
lower ore occurs in two bands five and twenty-five feet thick sepa¬ 
rated by four feet of olive shale. 

SECTION OF LOWER ORE AT PINTO. 

Feet. 


Interbedded iron sand rock and shale. 3 

Massive iron sand rock, near the base having a band of fossils mostly 

ostracods . 23 

Olive shale. 4 

Massive iron sand rock. 5 


A mile and a half northeast of Pinto the upper bed has con¬ 
siderably decreased in thickness as shown by the following section: 


SECTION ONE AND A HALF MILES NORTHEAST OF PINTO, ON B. & O. R. R. 

Feet. Inches. 

Upper band of lower ore, massive at bottom, shale parting at 


top . 13 - 

Greenish gray calcareous shale. 6 .... 

Bottom band of lower ore. 4 6 


In Wills Gap, the upper band has still further decreased in thick¬ 
ness and the shale member between the two bands has become much 
thinner. 

WILLS GAP SECTION. 

Feet. Inches 

Upper band of lower ore. 

Interbedded olive green to gray shale 
Lower band of lower ore. 


OC 4* 












298 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


In the Evitts Mountain region the two bands are separated by a 
thin shale parting and vary from six inches to eight feet in thick¬ 
ness, averaging about four feet. 

In the Tussey Mountain area there are no exposures where the 
thickness of this ore can be measured. 

The ‘physical character of the ore is such that the ore seems to 
consist almost entirely of oolites cemented in a matrix of iron 
oxide, although a few fossils are found in it. Ho calcium car¬ 
bonate is visible in the ore and it gives no effervescence with hydro¬ 
chloric acid. Weathered specimens of the ore plainly show that the 
nucleus of the oolites is a quartz grain. Dissolved in hydrochloric 
acid, the ore leaves a residue of more or less rounded, water-worn 
quartz grains which under the microscope are identical with the 
grains of ordinary beach sand. In addition to the rounded 
grains of quartz there are also a few angular grains which seem to 
have resulted from the fracturing of the former. It is thus seen 
that the seeming oolites are not true oolites as in the case of the 
upper ore, but that the ore consists of grains of sand held together 
in a matrix of ferric oxide. 

The chemical composition of the ore is shown in the following 
analyses of the ore from near Cresaptown and Wills Gap: 

ANALYSES OF LOWER CLINTON ORE. 

Cresaptown. 


Fe . 22.75 

Si0 2 . 59.06 

A1 2 0 3 . 3.94 

Mn .14 

S .07 

P .24 

Ignition . 2.91 

Wills Gap. 

Fe . 24.84 

Si0 2 . 47.65 

AI9O3 . 2.68 

Mn .29 

S .03 

P.22 

Ignition . 7.21 
















Maryland Geological Survey 


299 


These analyses show that the sulphur and manganese run low, 
and that the phosphorus runs above the Bessemer limit. The iron 
is very low and the silica excessively high. Under present condi¬ 
tions of the trade, these ores possess no economic value. 

Extent of Development. 

The Clinton ores in Maryland were worked until shortly after 
the Civil War, the ores being used at the Lena furnace in Cumber¬ 
land and at the Mt. Savage furnaces. Since these furnaces shut 
down no Clinton ore has been mined. 

All mining has been confined to the upper ore of the Wills Moun¬ 
tain area. About thirty years ago the upper ore was prospected by 
Pennsylvania parties on Mr. Clarence Gobin’s place in the Tussey 
Mountain area. Some of the prospect holes are still visible. The 
ore was less than six inches thick and no attempt was made to 
work it. 

In the Wills Mountain area, on the east limb of the anticline, 
the entire surface outcrop has been mined by stripping and con¬ 
siderable underground work done. On the west limb the ore has 
been mined for over a mile along the outcrop in the neighborhood 
of Cumberland. 

Allegany County. 

Narrows Park Deposit [251].—The ore was mined on the west 
side of Wills Mountain from the Narrows to a distance of about 
one and a half miles to the southwest. The property was then 
owned by Samuel Eckles. Mining was commenced here when the 
Mt. Savage furnace was built in 1840. The most active opera¬ 
tions were carried on from 1845 to 1855, after which, except for a 
year or two during the War, operations ceased. There were over 
a dozen important openings besides a number of smaller ones and 
the points where some of the drifts went in are still visible. The 
general method of mining was to drive a drift into the hillside until 
the ore was encountered and then cross-cut along the ore. The ore 
was brought out of the mines in tram-cars pushed by the miners. 
A few inclines were also put down and in these the cars were hauled 
up by a windlass. As the ore came from the mines it was loaded 


300 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


into carts and hauled to the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Rail¬ 
road in the valley below and shipped to Mt. Savage. From two 
to four one-ton carts were used for this purpose and each cart was 
said to have loaded two twelve-ton cars per day. Mr. Jacob Brown, 
who worked in these mines, said the ore was two feet thick, which 
is considerably thicker than any outcrop of the ore shows. 

Long Deposit [252].—The ore was worked by surface stripping 
on Mr. D. L. Long’s place one-half mile south of Roberts. A trench 
2500 feet long having the upper Clinton sandstone as a foot-wall 
marks the site of the operations. This ore was used at the Lena 
furnace in Cumberland. 

Gephart Deposit [253].—Ore was stripped one and a half miles 
south of Cumberland on Mr. George Gephart’s place, then owned by 
Galloway Lynn, and hauled to the Lena furnace. The trench here 
is 1000 feet long and also shows the upper Clinton sandstone as a 
foot wall. 

Deposit West of Cumberland [254].—A trench can be traced for 
nearly three-quarters of a mile on the west edge of Cumberland 
from Wills Creek southward. There was also some underground 
work done along here. This ore was chieflv used at the Lena fur- 
nace. 

Deposit North of Cumberland [255].—The ore was worked on 
the east side of Wills Mountain from Cumberland to the Penn¬ 
sylvania line, and the location is marked by an almost continuous 
trench. In addition to the surface stripping, considerable under¬ 
ground work was done. This ore was sent to Mt. Savage. 


Amount of Clinton Ore. 

Taking the average thickness of the upper ore in the Wills Moun¬ 
tain area at seven inches and the specific gravity 3.31, the quantity 
of ore calculated to a depth of a hundred feet is 8,627,000 cu. ft., 
or 888,600 tons. Taking the average thickness in Evitts and Tussey 
Mountains at 3 f/o inches and calculating to the same depth, the 
amount there is 2,878,000 cu. ft., or 296,400 tons. This makes the 


Maryland Geological Survey 


301 


total quantity of the upper ore to a depth of a hundred feet, 1,185,- 
000 tons. 

Calculating the amount of the lower ore in the Wills Mountain 
area to a depth of a hundred feet with an average thickness of fif¬ 
teen feet and specific gravity 2.94, we get 225,086,000 cu. ft., or 
20,708,000 tons. Similarly, for the Evitts and Tussev Mountain 
areas, assuming an average thickness of four feet, we get 33,517,- 
000 cu. ft., or 3,084,000 tons. This gives a total of 23,792,000 
tons of lower ore to a depth of a hundred feet. 

The above calculations show that by far the greater quantity of 
the ore occurs in the Wills Mountain area. Seventy-five per cent, 
of the upper ore and eighty-seven per cent, of the lower ore occurs 
in that region. 

Origin of the Clinton Ores. 

For fifty years geologists have been discussing the origin of the 
Clinton ores and even today no agreement has been reached. The 
evidence in favor of the sedimentary origin of these ores, however, 
is rapidly accumulating, and there is every indication that such an 
origin will soon be established beyond doubt for most of the occur¬ 
rences of this ore. That the Clinton ores are bedded deposits has 
never been disputed. The point at issue has been whether they 
are the product of original sedimentation or are due to subsequent 
alteration or replacement of beds of a different character,—that is, 
are they original or subsequent deposits. Two theories have been 
advanced accounting for them as subsequent deposits. The more 
aenerallv advocated of these is that the ores are derived from beds 

O «/ 

of limestone either by residual enrichment or by replacement of 
the limestone by iron brought in bv percolating waters. The other 
theory postulates the deposition of beds of glauconite which have 
subsequently been altered by circulating underground waters. 

The theories as to the origin of the Clinton ores may, therefore, 
be grouped as follows: 

A. Subsequent Origin. 

1. Residual enrichment by weathering of ferriferous limestone. 

2. Replacement of limestone by ferruginous waters. 

3. Alteration of glauconite beds. 

B. Original Deposition. 


302 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


Residual Enrichment. —The first of these theories, that of resi¬ 
dual enrichment, has been but little advocated. The difficulties in 
the way of this theory are obvious. It demands that when the level 
of ground-water is reached the ore bed shall be succeeded by a much 
thicker bed of ferriferous limestone. Experience in mining shows, 
however, that such a change does not in general take place, but 
that the ore merely assumes a nearly uniform calcareous charac¬ 
ter,—that is, the change is from soft to hard ore. If, however, it 
is argued that the formation of the ore took place at a time when 
the water level was much lower than at present, another difficulty 
is encountered in the shrinkage of the bed that would be required. 
In the case of the upper ore in Maryland, the ratio of the iron to 
the iron in the underlying limestone is four to one; in the Stone 
Valley ores of Pennsylvania it is fourteen to one. In the Birming¬ 
ham district where the ore reaches a thickness of thirty feet, the 
amount of shrinkage required becomes enormous. Any evidence of 
the structural effects such shrinkage would produce is lacking. 
Hence we may safely rule out this theory. 

Replacement of Limestone. —The chief exponents of the sec¬ 
ond theory, that of replacement of limestone beds by iron-bearing 
waters, have been Professor N. S. Shaler, Dr. August F. Foerste, 
James P. Kimball, and Dr. J. J. Rutledge. 

Professor Shaler 1 gives two reasons which led him to adopt the 
replacement theory. “It is evident from a study of the varied 
conditions under which the beds of this section were deposited, that 
if the ore was laid down at the time when the beds were formed, then 
it must have been deposited under the most diverse conditions imagi¬ 
nable.” Since the beds in Kentucky must have formed at the bottom 
of a deep sea, he also says that “a deposit of iron imder such circum¬ 
stances is impossible.” 

Dr. Foerste 2 bases his opinion chiefly on a microscopic study of 
the ores. He found all stages of replacement by ferric oxide of 
the calcium carbonate cement of the ores and of the oolitic granule. 

1 Notes on the Investigations of the Kentucky Geological Survey during the 
Years 1873, 1874, and 1875, Vol. 3, Pt. Ill, 2d Ser., p. 36, 1877. 

2 “On the Clinton Oolitic Iron Ores,” Am. Jour, of Sci., 3rd Ser., Vol. XLI, 
No. 241, pp. 28-29, Jan., 1891. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


303 


He also did not regard the oolitic character due to concretionary 
segregation of the iron oxide, but to the gradual replacement of 
bryozoan fragments. 

Kimball 1 calls attention to the fact that “the distribution of the 
Clinton iron ores clearly depends on secondary and wholly adven¬ 
titious conditions connected with topography and environments.” He 
also calls attention to the fact that “non-ferriferous Clinton lime¬ 
stones, more or less magnesian, into which their associated iron ores 
graduate, may be assumed to have been deposited in clear and mod¬ 
erately deep continental seas. ***** Yet direct ferric 
precipitation from extremely instable natural solutions of ferrous 
salts cannot well be believed to have taken place so far from inland 
sources as where conditions existed favorable to the accumulation of 
non-siliceous and expansive limestones.” 

In answer to the objection that the sedimentary theory does not 
account for the ores of deep water origin, Professor Smyth says 
that the fact that these deposits are of deep water origin is not well 
established, as limestones may be laid down in shallow water as well 
as in deep water. Moreover, the broken condition of the fossils 
shows that they were collected near a shore line. 

Dr. Rutledge 2 in his discussion of the Stone Valley ores of 
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, presents the strongest case that 
has been made out for the replacement theory. That the replace¬ 
ment theory applies to the Stone Valley ores he seems to have con¬ 
clusively proved. He finds that the ore bodies lie upon the sides 
of small ridges in conditions favorable to an easy and slow move¬ 
ment of meteoric waters. Another important factor noted was 
weathering, as the soft ores were found only where the shales had 
weathered to clays. More direct evidence is the tracing out of a 
limestone bed until it becomes a bed of hard or soft ore and at one 
of the mines unreplaced limestone in the hard ore was found. Dr. 
Rutledge agrees that the iron content of the siliceous concretions is 
original but that it forms only a small percentage of the total iron 

1 American Geologist, Vol. VIII, pp. 352-376. 

2 Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., Bi-Monthly Bull. No. 24, Nov., 1908, pp. 
1070-1087. 



304 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


content. As a result of liis observations lie says, “By far the 
greater portion of the iron content of these Stone Valley ore beds 
is believed to have been laid down in the beds of shale overlying the 
ore beds as an original constituent of such shale beds, and subset 
quently transferred from these shale beds to the bed of fossiliferous 
limestone which formerly occupied the location of the present ore 
bed.” 

Alteration of Glauconite Beds. —The third theory, that the 
ores are due to the alteration of glauconite deposits, has found but 
one exponent in this country. Such an origin has been ascribed to 
similar ore deposits in Germany by some of the German workers; 
and in 1908, S. W. McCallie, State Geologist of Georgia, in a “Re¬ 
port on the Fossil Iron Ores of Georgia” applied it to the Clinton 
ores of the United States. The report describes the conditions under 
which the Clinton rocks must have been laid down and shows that 
they are identical with those under which glauconite is being formed 
on the sea-bottom today. A microscopic study of the ores showed 
the presence of spherules with nuclei consisting of a somewhat 
granular mass, having a green or yellowish green color, which Mc¬ 
Callie takes to be glauconite. A large number of analyses of the 
ore show that its chemical composition is in harmony with the view. 
He also states that while the ore in Alabama near the outcrop shows 
little glauconite, a diamond drill core taken a half mile from the 
outcrop and at a depth of about eight hundred feet from the sur¬ 
face reveals a large amount of glauconite. The above arguments 
show that the glauconite theory is a possible theory, but the author 
makes no attempt to show that it is the true explanation and that 
the older theories do not apply. On the other hand, the Alabama 
region to which he refers in support of his theory offers the most 
conclusive evidence of its failure to explain the origin of the ores. 
The slopes of some of the mines in this district now exceed 1800 
feet in length, and have gone down to a depth of 650 feet. If the 
ore is formed by the alteration of glauconite, it is reasonable to ex¬ 
pect that at such a depth there would still remain somewhere patches 
of the original bed which had not been altered. Yet not a single in¬ 
stance of such an occurrence has been reported and, except for the 


Maryland Geological Survey 


305 


single instance mentioned by McCallie, no increase in the quantity 
of the green nuclei has been noted bv anv of the workers in this 
field. The fact that a few glauconite particles occur in the ores 
is not at all surprising, as it is certainly true that the Clinton rocks 
were formed under conditions which approach the conditions 
requisite for the formation of glauconite. No evidence has been 
brought forward, however, to show that beds of glauconite were 
formed. 

Original Deposition. —The principal advocates of the theory of 
the original deposition of the ores are Professor H. D. Rogers, Pro¬ 
fessor J. S. Newberry, Dr. C. H. Smyth, Jr., and more recently E. 
F. Burchard. 

Rogers 1 regarded the ores “as having originated, with the other 
sedimentary materials, in the form of very extended but thin sheets 
of ferruginous matter.” In addition to this, however, he regarded 
the infiltration of iron from the associated shale beds an important 
factor. Thus the theory advanced bv him is really a combination 
of the replacement theory and the original deposition theory. 

Newberry 2 savs of the origin of these ores “if we look over the 
world for an iron-ore forming, which will illustrate the origin of 
the Clinton, we find it in the granular, or ‘mustard seed/ ore of the 
Swiss lakes. This is an oolitic ore, consisting of spherules of 
limonite, which have formed around minute particles of some for¬ 
eign substance. * * * * In the lake oxygen is absorbed and fer¬ 
rous is converted into ferric oxide. This, collecting around some 
nucleus, ultimately sinks to the bottom, a ferruginous oolite, which 
from time to time is gathered as a crop. The Clinton ore appar¬ 
ently was formed much in the same way.” 

Probably the most conclusive arguments on the subject of the 
orb-in of the Clinton ores are those of Professor Smyth. 3 He says, 
“if the ore represents an oolitic limestone, each spherule has been 
altered from outside toward the centre. This alteration has been by 
the replacement of calcite by silica and iron carbonate. It would 

1 Geology of Pa., Vol. II, 1858, p. 729. 

2 School of Mines Quarterly, Nov., 1880, p. 14. 

3 Am. Jour. Sci., 3rd Ser., Vol. XLIII, June, 1892, pp. 487-496. 



306 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


seem as though, after the exterior layers were thus altered, they must, 
to a greater or less extent, protect the interior layers from change, 
and that there would often be some trace of original calcite. In no 
case has this been seen, even in the leanest ores, although the layers 
of silica and iron are often so dense and impervious that hydrochloric 
acid cannot dissolve all the iron present.” 

A very damaging argument against the overlying shales as the 
source of the ore arises from the fact that the shale and sandstone 
overlying the iron ore beds in Hew York State are highly cal¬ 
careous and the waters that seep through these deposits precipitate 
lime carbonate wherever there is an opportunity afforded. “How,” 
Professor Smyth asks, “can such water be the bearer of iron salts 
that are supposed to be precipitated by lime carbonate at a lower 
level ?” 

Another evidence of the sedimentary origin of the ores is in the 
distribution of the oolites in the calcareous matrix. Many irregu¬ 
lar patches and layers contain only 10 per cent, of iron, yet the 
spherules are just as ferruginous as in the pure ore. Such occur¬ 
rences, he concluded, can only be explained on the supposition that 
the spherules were ferruginous when incorporated into the rock. 

The occurrence in Wayne County, Hew York, of fragments of 
ore in a bed of limestone overlying the ore also points strongly to 
the sedimentary origin of the ores. 

The Hew York State Museum issued a bulletin in Hovember, 
1908, on the Clinton ores of that State by D. H. Hewland, and C. 
A. Hartnagel, in which the authors say that Professor Smyth’s ex¬ 
planation of the origin is “the only explanation at all compatible 
with the conditions.” 

According to E. F. Burchard, 1 the conditions in Alabama also 
strongly favor the sedimentary origin. He says, “all the new facts 
observed in the course of the work in the Birmingham district are 
in accordance with the hypothesis that the ore is the result of 
original deposition of ferruginous sediments. * * * * That 

the ore is due entirely to the replacement of limestone seems hardly 
possible when it is considered that instead of a marked decrease in 

i Bi-Monthly Bull. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., No. 24, Nov., 1908, pp. 1041-4, and 
Bulletin 340, U. S. G. S., pp. 308-17. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


307 


percentage of iron and an increase in that of lime, with depth, until 
the bed becomes a limestone, very little tendency toward that condi¬ 
tion has been noted.” At two of the mines systematic analyses 
of the ores were made at intervals of a few feet from the out¬ 
crop to the bottom of the slope and throughout the extent of 
each entry to the right and left of the slope. It was found in one 
case that the content of metallic iron increases about one per cent, 
for each 1000 feet below the upper limit of the hard ore, and that 
the lime decreases one per cent, in the same distance; in the other 
case, the reverse change took place. 

The above outline of the various theories held as to the origin 
of the Clinton ores shows that one of the chief reasons for the di¬ 
versity in opinions has been the attempt to apply one theory to 
all of the occurrences of the Clinton ores. The evidence at hand 
now seems to point conclusively to original deposition as the origin 
of the New York and Alabama ores, and yet equally conclusively 
to replacement as the chief factor in at least a portion of the Penn¬ 
sylvania ores. 


Origin of the Maryland Clinton Ores. —In the description 
of the ores in Maryland, it has already been mentioned that the 
ores at the two horizons differ markedly both in chemical com¬ 
position and in physical character. A consideration of the evidence 
seems to indicate a diverse origin for the ores. 

The two beds at the lower horizon are essentially a highly fer¬ 
ruginous sandstone. Fossils in these beds are rare. Out of a dozen 
hand specimens not more than one or two will show any fossils, 
and then usually only a few fragments of crinoid stems. If these 
beds were formed by the replacement of calcareous sandstone, one 
would naturally expect to find fossils more abundant in them. 
Moreover, the uniform character of the lower bed affords the strong¬ 
est evidence against replacement. Any iron solutions reaching this 
bed had to penetrate first the upper bed and then a parting of shale. 
One would expect this bed, therefore, to be greatly influenced by 
the thickness of the overlying ore bed and the thickness of the shale 
parting. Yet wherever observed, the replacement is complete. It 


308 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


is thus seen that the evidence for the lower Clinton ore in Mary¬ 
land is all in favor of original deposition. 

When we come to the upper ore, however, we find the conditions 
different. Coming upward, we have a heavy quartzitic sandstone 
passing into a very siliceous limestone over which is the ore bed. 
The limestone is but a very calcareous phase of the sandstone into 
which it rapidly grades. The boundary surface between the ore 
and the limestone is very often irregular and stringers of ore pass 
down into the limestone a short distance and gradually fade out. 
The ore itself also frequently contains fragments of calcareous rock. 
Hence it seems probable that this ore is due to the replacement of 
the limestone by iron-bearing solutions and the chief reason that 
the entire limestone bed is not replaced is that it is a very compact 
siliceous rock which could not be easily dissolved by the percolating 
solutions and hence the replacement has occurred mainly along 
the contact of the limestone and shale where the solutions had 
readier access. 

THE SPECULAR HEMATITE OF CARROLL COUNTY. 

The specular hematite of the Piedmont occurs in Carroll County 
and is found from Sykesville to Finksburg. 1 The ore is a vein 
deposit with quartz gangue, in a country rock of mica schists weath¬ 
ering to talcose and chloritic, schists. At the southern end near 
Sykesville, granitic rocks occur about a thousand feet east of the 
outcrop of the vein. The strike of the “vein” follows the strike of 
the schists, N. 30° E. The dip is usually nearly vertical. The 
width of the vein is extremely variable, ranging from almost noth¬ 
ing to over fifteen feet. 

Description of the Ore. 

In the south the iron occurs principally in the form of specular 
hematite; as one goes north, magnetite comes in, and at Finksburg 
the ore is almost entirely magnetic. A sample of the ore taken from 
an outcrop of the vein at the Springfield mine near Sykesville 
showed the following analysis: 


iPiggot on Copper and Copper Mining, 1858, pp. 263-5. D. T. Ansted “On 
some Remarkable Mineral Veins,” Jour. Geol. Soc., 1857, Vol. XIII, pp. 242-5. 



MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 


VOLUME IX, PLATE XXV. 



Joimsville' 


.Oak Orchard 


ei't\1ow\j 


Falla 

\~\ze& / 


NeM-London 


ewilaifei 


•PtaneJfo. 4/ 



76 * 50 ' 


39 * 

20 ' 


39 * 

20 ' 


LOCATION OF IRON ORE BANKS IN PARTS OF FREDERICK, CARROLL AND HOWARD COUNTIES 

































































































































' 
























Maryland Geological Survey 309 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM SPRINGFIELD MINE. 


Fe . 46.77 

Si0 2 . 30.66 

Alo6 3 . 1.89 

Mn . .18 

P .11 

S .05 

Ignition . .43 


In addition to the hematite or magnetite a small amount of 
chalcopyrite also occurs in the vein at the surface and the ore is 
frequently stained by copper minerals where it is weathered. With 
increasing depth the importance of the copper sulphide increases 
until the ore becomes a copper ore. At the Springfield Mine, the 
most southerly opening, the copper values exceeded the iron at a 
depth of about 100 feet. To the north the copper becomes abun¬ 
dant nearer the surface, and at Finksburg practically extends up to 
the surface. 

Extent of Development. 

Several iron mines were opened on this vein but all of them soon 
became copper producers, and on account of the small depth to 
which the iron extends the value of the deposit lies in its copper 
content. Xone of the mines have been worked for some years. 

Carroll County. 

Springfield Mine [256].—The Springfield Mine is situated one 
mile north of Sykesville on State Senator J. E. Beasman’s place. At 
the time the mine was worked it was owned by George Patterson 
and it was one of the chief sources of ore for the Elba furnace 
which was located on the north bank of the Patapsco River about 
three-quarters of a mile southeast of Sykesville. 

The whole width of the vein is nowhere exposed, but at one point 
there is an exposure showing fifteen feet. The ore at the surface 
consists entirely of specular hematite, with very little sulphide, in 
a quartz gangue. The specimen yielding the analysis recorded on 
the preceding page was taken at this mine. After reaching a depth 
of about one hundred feet, the ore became a copper ore and ship¬ 
ments were made ranging as high as 16 per cent, copper. For the 









310 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


year ending April 1, 1857, the copper output amounted to nearly 
$18,000. 

Two openings, separated by a small stream, were made on the 
vein. Of these the southern one was the more important. The mine 
has been abandoned for so long a time that the openings have caved 
in. The main shaft was worked to a depth of over 300 feet and 
was cut at a depth of 66 feet by an adit level 500 feet long. 

Carroll Mine [257].—This mine is about a half mile northeast 
of the Springfield Mine and is also situated on property belonging 
to State Senator J. E. Beasman. The deposit here is a continua¬ 
tion of that at the Springfield Mine, and the character of the ore 
is the same. The schists at this point are very micaceous. 

There were two main openings besides a number of small pros¬ 
pect holes. The vein seems to have been located by running a trench 
up the hill at right angles to the strike. 

Monroe Prospect [258].—About 1858 Tyson & Company leased 
some land from Judge Monroe about one mile north-northeast of 
Eldersburg to prospect for this vein. Having located the vein, they 
bought the property, but no ore was ever taken out. On the death 
of Mr. Tyson, the property was sold to Mr. George Albaugh. 

Beasman Prospect [259] Plate XV.—About a mile and a half 
southwest of Louisville and one mile north-northeast of the Monroe 
Prospect, a Xew York concern located the vein on land owned by 
Joshua Beasman in 1865. The property was leased but reverted to 
Joshua Beasman on account of the conditions of the lease not being 
fulfilled before any ore was taken out. It is now owned by State 
Senator J. E. Beasman. Ho ore was ever shipped from this opening. 

Mineral Hill Mine [260].—The Mineral Hill Mine is situated 
less than a mile south of Louisville and is now owned by Mr. 
George Albaugh. It was the most extensively worked of the mines 
along this vein. The ore is said to have been mined during the 
Revolutionary War and the old openings made then, which are 
to the north of the newer openings, can still be seen. About 1852, 
Moses Barnes leased this land to John Triplett and John Wil- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


311 


liams, two young men who had been working for the Tysons in the 
chrome deposits at Delight. After opening up the property, they 
sold out to Isaac Tyson. About 1860 Tyson sold out to a company 
of Baltimoreans, who soon became financially involved, and it was 
bought again by Tyson. About four years ago it was acquired by 
the present owner. 

The location on the map is that of the main shaft which is over 
400 feet deep. The main level or adit comes out on the hillside 
above Morgan Bun. At times a hundred men were employed at 
this mine, twenty-five to thirty of whom were engaged in mining. 
The ore as brought to the surface was crushed, washed and picked. 
Some of it was sent to the Elba furnace, near Sykesville, and the 
rest hauled to Einksburg for shipment. The vein is not quite as 
steep as at the Springfield Mine and dips to the east. The width 
is variable, but runs about two and a half feet. 

Patapsco Mines [261].—Two old mines, one on each side of the 
Baltimore and Beisterstown Turnpike, are located at the east end 
of Finksburg. They were opened about 1850 and some of the ore 
was shipped to Baltimore. The property changed hands a number 
of times and was last worked by a Harrisburg company, with a 
Mr. Daniel King as manager. 

The iron occurs as magnetite and the outcrop of the vein is 
greatly stained with copper salts. At the point wnere the vein 
crosses the turnpike it has a thickness of two feet. The country 
rock is a silvery schist with small magnetite crystals disseminated 
through it. 

The mine on the north side of the turnpike was worked to a depth 
of 365 feet and had two levels about two hundred yards long at 
depths of 100 and 160 feet. The mine on the south side of the 
turnpike was worked only to a depth of 100 feet. The copper in 
these mines is so near the surface that the iron output was very 
small. These deposits are also interesting on account of the occur¬ 
rence in them of the two rare cobalt minerals—Carrollite and Lin- 
naeite—for the former of which this is the type locality. 




312 


Ikon Ores of Maryland 


The Magnetites. 

The magnetites of Maryland are confined to the Piedmont area 
and a strip along the border of the Piedmont and Appalachian 
areas at the eastern edge of the Blue Eidge Mountain. They occur 
in three distinct groups,—the magnetites in the Loudon formation, 
those in the schistose rocks of the Piedmont, and those in the ser¬ 
pentines of the eastern Piedmont. The magnetites in the Loudon 
formation occur in the western part of Frederick County; the mag¬ 
netite in the schistose rocks occur in schistose volcanics in southern 
Frederick County and in the Wissahickon rocks of Howard and Har¬ 
ford counties; and the magnetites in the serpentines are found in the 
serpentine areas of Baltimore and Harford counties. Of these groups 
the Loudon magnetites are by far the most promising. 


MAGNETITES IN THE LOUDON FORMATION OF FREDERICK COUNTY. 


A bed of magnetite has been found in the shales of the Loudon 
formation, along the east edge of Catoctin Mountain, in the vicinity 
of Thurmont, Frederick County. 

The Loudon formation is the lowest member of the Cambrian 
system of rocks, which is subdivided in Maryland as follows: 


Cambrian System: 


r Shenandoah (in part.) 

Antietam. 

« Harpers. 

Weverton. 

„ Loudon. 


It receives its name from Loudon County, Virginia, where it 
attains its typical development. It outcrops in Maryland, in long 
narrow belts of rock accompanying the mountain ridges and is 
found in Catoctin Mountain, Blue Eidge and Elk Eidge. The de¬ 
posits consist largely of fine dark shales and slates, but also have 
interstratified limestone lenses, sandstones, and conglomerates. The 
thickness of the formation varies greatly, ranging from a few to 
over 500 feet. 



Maryland Geological Survey 


313 


Occurrence of the Ore. 

The ore has been found only along the eastern edge of Catoctin 
Mountain in the vicinity of Thurmont. The first hill of Catoctin 
Mountain on the east is formed by an anticline of Weverton sand¬ 
stone which overlies the Loudon formation. Three miles southwest 
of Catoctin Furnace and six miles southwest of Thurmont, the 
Weverton sandstone at the top of the hill has been cut through by 
erosion, exposing the underlying Loudon formation and the iron ore 
bed which it contains. At the foot of this same hill the Loudon for¬ 
mation is again brought to the surface by a sharp anticlinal fold 
pitching to the west, the eastern limb of which has been cut out by 
a fault running along the foot of the mountain.* 

Three miles northeast of Thurmont where this overthrust anti¬ 
cline brings up the Loudon formation the magnetite bed again out¬ 
crops. These are the only known exposures of the magnetite bed, 
and therefore, to determine the extent of the bed, a magnetic sur¬ 
vey would be necessary. Since, however, it is a bedded deposit, it 
is extremely probable that the deposit is continuous between these 
points and extends for some distance beyond to the northeast and 
southwest, forming an extensive ore body. 


Description of the Ore. 

The strata associated with the ore bed consist of dark blue shales 
carrying disseminated fine-grained magnetite and some pyrite, the 
latter usually weathered to limonite. Between these strata is a 
bed six feet thick which is richer in magnetite. The rock forming 
this bed is coarser than the shale and consists chiefly of grains of 
quartz and magnetite crystals, the latter also of larger size than 
those in the shales. 

A sample of the ore taken from an opening on the top of the hill 
southwest of Catoctin Furnace showed the following composition: 


*The structure is shown in the sketch on page 197. 




314 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


ANALYSIS OF LOUDON MAGNETITE. 


Fe. 35.02 

Si0 2 . 33.82 

Alo0 3 . 9.43 

CaO . 1.04 

MgO . 1.50 

Mn .16 

P .04 

S.27 

Ignition . 1.98 


In order to use these ores they would have to be concentrated. 
Mr. John Birkinbine in a report on the Catoctin property says: 
“An investigation made in 1896 showed that of the material claimed 
to represent the average of what could be economically mined, 
about one-third could be converted to concentrate. The size of the 
magnetic particles, however, is such that these would have to be 
briquetted at an additional cost. The analysis made of carefully 
separated ore indicates a satisfactory composition: 

ANALYSIS OF LOUDON MAGNETITE CONCENTRATE. 

Fe. 65.2 

Si0 2 . 6.25 

P.028 

S .038 

Hence although trade conditions would hardly justify the work¬ 
ing of this deposit at present, it must be looked upon as one of 
the important deposits of the State and one that will furnish con¬ 
siderable ore in the future. 

Extent of Development. 

This ore has been worked at only one point,—on the hill south¬ 
west of Catoctin Furnace. 

Frederick County. 

Ore Deposit on Hill Southwest of Catoctin Furnace [262].—A 
number of small pits were sunk along the top of the hill about two 
miles southwest of Catoctin Furnace for a distance of several hun¬ 
dred yards, and one large opening made 225 feet long 6 feet wide 
and 20 feet deep. The strike of the bed in this opening is M. 25° 
E. and the dip 78° E. The rock also shows a cleavage dipping 
25° E. 















Maryland Geological Survey 


315 


The mining was done by the Kunkles and the ore used at the 
Catoctin furnaces. It is said that from 15,000 to 20,000 tons of ore 
were obtained from these openings. The openings are on the Catoc¬ 
tin property which is now owned by Mr. Joseph E. Thropp of 
Everett, Pennsylvania. 

MAGNETITES IN THE SCHISTOSE ROCKS OF THE PIEDMONT. 

The magnetites in the schistose rocks of the Piedmont occur in 
the sheared volcanics in southern and eastern Frederick County and 
western Carroll County, and in the Wissahickon schists in Howard 
County near Hood’s Mill and in Harford County near Shawsville. 
These rocks throughout their extent frequently contain magnetite 
abundantly disseminated through them, and at a few points this 
has become sufficiently concentrated to give rise to an ore body of 
small extent. Several limonite deposits are included in this dis¬ 
cussion as they are either derived directly from the weathering of 
such magnetite deposits, or are at least local concentrations of more 
sparsely disseminated magnetite and other iron minerals in these 
rocks. 


Frederick County. 

The ores coming under this head in Frederick County are found 
in the southern part of the county, east of the Monocacy River, and 
in the eastern part, about three miles north of the Baltimore and 
Ohio Railroad, and occur in the schistose rocks of the region. Five 
localities are known, only three of which have yielded ore. 

Patrick Ambush Ore Bank [263] Plate XV.—Ore was dug in 
the early seventies from Mr. Patrick Ambush’s property, three and 
a half miles southeast of Adamstown, and one and a half miles 
southwest of Park Mills. The property was then owned and worked 
by a Mr. Maxwell. The ore was hauled to Adamstown and shipped 
on the B. & O. Railroad. There is an opening 20 by 50 feet and 
15 feet deep nearly filled with water. It occurs in a hollow at 
the junction of two stream valleys. The ore is a limonite and oc- 


316 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


curs in a schistose volcanic rock closely resembling the basic vol¬ 
canic rock of Carroll County. 

Yingling Ore Bank [264].—There is an opening 25 by 10 feet 
and 6 feet deep on Mr. William Yingling’s place a half mile northeast 
of Greenfield Mills. This deposit was opened in 1873 by Mr. Max¬ 
well, but only three carloads of ore were shipped from it. The ore 
is a limonite occurring in the same rock as that at Ambush Ore 
Bank, one mile to the north. 

Belt Deposit [265].—There are surface indications of a magnetite 
deposit on Mr. McGill Belt’s place two miles north of Dickerson. The 
ore occurs on the east side of the hill overlooking the Monocacy 
River. The country rock is a bluish green, schistose volcanic, with 
some pinkish layers. A sample taken from pieces of ore scattered 
on the ground showed the following composition: 

ANALYSIS OF ORE FROM BELT DEPOSIT. 

Fe . 58.67 

Si0 2 . 8.26 

A1 2 O s . 3.18 

Mn .. Trace. 

P .00 

Ignition . 3.64 

The analysis indicates that the ore is of a very good grade, but 
no prospecting has ever been done on this property, so that nothing 
is known as to the extent of the deposit. 

Neiv London “Iron Mine” [266] Plate XXV.—In the Engi¬ 
neering and Mining Journal, of January 17, 1880, page 48, the fol¬ 
lowing statement is made: “The new iron mine at Xew London 
worked by Maxwell and Carbis has a good prospect and has quite 
an ore bank. It is getting hematite to be shipped to Ashland. It 
made a very favorable lease getting the first 500 tons free. It has 
four miles of hauling to Monrovia.’’ This locality is one mile 
southeast of Xew London. A little prospecting was done there in 
1880 by Maxwell and Carbis, but no ore obtained, nor will any 
ever be obtained as the fresh volcanics outcrop all around there 
and show no evidence of iron ore. It is difficult to understand just 








Maryland Geological Survey 317 

why any work should have been done at that place. About five 
years later Daniel Cashour also prospected there a little, but ob¬ 
tained no ore. 

Clary Ore Bank [267].—Two miles northwest of Mount Airy, 
on Mr. Belt Norwood’s farm, is a bank 200 by 150 feet and 25 
feet deep, which was worked a& early as 1857, and the ore sent 
to the Elba furnace at Sykesville. This bank w T as worked until 
early in the eighties by Mr. K. T. Clary. 

The ore obtained here was in part, if not all, limonite, as the 
few pieces which are still lying about are limonite, and there is no 
evidence of magnetite. The ore must have contained a great deal 
of manganese, as a lump of pure manganese ore was found weigh¬ 
ing about fifteen pounds. Judging from what little is still to be 
seen, the deposit is a local concentration of limonite derived from 
the decomposition through weathering of the iron-bearing minerals 
in the schistose country rock. 

Carroll County. 

Richmond Mine [268].—In 1880, Upton Richmond opened a 
mine on his property a half mile east of West Falls. An adit was 
run into the side of the hill and a shaft put down higher up on the 
hillside. An account of the operations at that time says, 1 “a num¬ 
ber of hematite and magnetite iron mines have been opened in the 
vicinity of Mt. Airy. One of them operated by U. Richmond, Esq., 
seems to be the best. They have magnetite ore, a number of shafts 
down, and have been in operation six months or so, and have made 
arrangements to ship to Pittsburg.” As far as could be learned 
this was the only mine opened in this neighborhood at that time, 
and it did not come up to the above expectations, as it was aban¬ 
doned in less than a year. 

Hood Ore Bank [269].—On Mrs. Hood’s farm, four and a half 
miles northeast of Mt. Airy, is a small old opening, about 150 feet 
long, 15 feet wide, and now less than 10 feet deep. This was leased 


lEng. and Min. Jour., Jan. 17, 1880, p. 48 




/ 


318 Irox Ores of Maryland 

and worked by James W. Tyson for liis furnace at Svkesville, about 
1850, but was abandoned long before 18S0, and from its size could 
never have been worked to any extent. There are pieces of highly 
ferruginous weathered country rock lying about, so that the ore 
was probably a surface concentration of limonite derived from that 
rock. 


Howard County. 

Two deposits are known in Howard County about one mile south 
of Hood’s Mill. One of them yielded limonite and the other mag¬ 
netite. They occur near the western edge of the granite intrusion 
extending from Sykesville southward. The ore occurs in a green¬ 
ish chloritic schist in the Wissahickon formation which lies in 
troughs in the surface of the intrusive granite from which it has not 
yet been eroded. 



FIG. 8.—DIAGRAM SHOWING POSITION OF HOWARD COUNTY MAGNETITES. 


Forsythe Deposit [270].—Ore was mined in the early fifties, on 
the east side of the County road, on Mr. A. K, Forsythe’s place, 
which was then owned by Andrew Ellicott. The site of the mine is 
now cultivated, and no sign of the former operations remains. Mr. 
Forsythe said that three shafts were put down and a tunnel to drain 
them. After having been worked about three or four years, the 
openings caved in on account of defective timbering and the de¬ 
posit was abandoned. The ore was a soft yellow limonite, and was 
shipped to Baltimore. 







Maryland Geological Survey 


319 


Rice Ore Bank [271] Plate XXV.—On the Pice farm across 
the road from the Forsythe mine and separated from it by a granite 
outcrop, there is an opening from which magnetite was obtained. 
The property was then owned by John Wayman and worked by 
James Tyson. The opening is 150 by 30 feet at the surface. Its 
depth is now less than 10 feet but it has been filled up with stones 
and rubbish so that its original depth is unknown. 

Harford County. 

Ayres Ore Bank [272] Plate XVIII.—Only one attempt has been 
made to work magnetite in the schists of Harford County. In 
1857 ore was obtained from Mr. John Ayres’ place one-half mile 
east of Shawsville. In 1867 the deposit was again prospected but 
no mining done. The opening is only about 20 by 10 feet and but 
a few feet deep, so that very little ore was ever taken from here. 
The ore is also of such low grade that the deposit is of no value. 

MAGNETITES IN THE SERPENTINES. 

The magnetites in the serpentines occur in the serpentine areas 
of northeastern Baltimore and northern Harford counties. This 
region is an extensive area of Wissahickon schist into which the 
serpentine has been intruded and is now exposed in small lenticu¬ 
lar patches. These serpentines were formerly important sources 
of chrome ore. In addition to the chrome, small deposits of mag¬ 
netite have also been found. These ores are magmatic segregations 
occurring near the periphery of the serpentine masses. An analy¬ 
sis of a sample of the ore taken from the Xorris Ore Bank two and 
a half miles northeast of Whitehall in Baltimore County is given 
below. 


ANALYSIS OF OP.E FROM NORRIS ORE BANKS. 


Fe . 30.36 

Si0 2 . 20.96 

A1 2 0 3 . 12.54 

Mn . Little. 

P .06 

S .16 

Ignition . 5.54 











320 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


All these magnetites also contain a small amount of titanium. 

The deposits that have been worked were all of small extent and 
this type of magnetite deposits does not seem to attain any im¬ 
portance in Maryland. 


Harford County. 

Ore Banks near Cherry Hill [273] Plate XXII.—These ores have 
been worked at only one point in Harford County. This is on the 
northern edge of a serpentine area about a half mile east of Cherry 
Hill and one mile southeast of Minefield on the Maryland and 
Pennsylvania Railroad. Three larger pits were put down about 
30 by 15 feet and 10 feet deep, and several smaller ones. The ore 
was first used at the LaGrange furnace about a quarter of a mile 
north of Rocks, but was not found satisfactory, and was later 
hauled to Minefield and is said to have been shipped to Havre de 
Grace. 


Baltimore County. 

In Baltimore County these magnetites were worked at two 
points,—at the Xorris Bank two and a half miles northeast of 
Whitehall and at the McComas Bank one mile southeast of White¬ 
hall. 

Norris Ore Bank [274] Plate XVIII.—This bank is situated 
about two and a half miles northeast of Whitehall and one mile 
southeast of Gemmills, on the south side of First Mine branch. 
The ore body has a width of about twelve feet and was worked 
by an open cut for a distance of 200 feet. There was also a shaft 
put down 75 feet, from which a tunnel 100 feet long was run. The 
tunnel extended across the ore body and had a height of 8 feet. 
The ore is a fine-grained magnetite disseminated through a matrix 
of serpentine, and the analysis on page 319 was made from a sample 
taken at this occurrence. 

This deposit was worked about four or five years in the sixties 
by the Ashland Iron Company, and the ore shipped to their fur- 


Maryland Geological Survey 


321 


nace at Ashland. The land was leased from James Norris, and a 
royalty of 25c. per ton paid. The average output was about ten 
tons per day. 

McComas Ore Banks [275].—Magnetite was worked on Marsh 
McComas’ place during the forties and shipped to Ashland. The 
openings were made on the north bank of a small stream one mile 
southeast of Whitehall. These deposits were again prospected about 
1860 and several small openings made, but the attempt to work them 
was not successful. The main opening is about 200 feet long and 
20 feet wide and runs into the side of the hill. 

This deposit was visited in 1859 by Dr. C. T. Jackson, from 
whose account the following description is taken i 1 

“This locality presented some interesting geological and minera- 
logical phenomena. The rocks were talcose rocks or soapstone, 
chloritic schist, and masses of crystallized garnets so closely packed 
together in chlorite as to resemble a pudding stone in general ap¬ 
pearance. * * * The chloritic slate is filled with an impurity of 
crystals of octahedral magnetic iron ore and with veins of the 
granular ore of the same kind. The soapstone generally underlies 
the iron ore, though it alternates with the chlorite slate in one in¬ 
stance at the mine. The iron ore with the chlorite slate and garnet 
rocks are mined together and the ore sells for $3.00 per ton at a 
neighboring anthracite furnace. No one on looking at the heaps 
of this ore would conceive it worth anything for furnace purposes, 
but an analysis showed that an average sample of the ore yielded 
41 per cent, of the peroxide of iron, which is equal to 28.7 per 
cent, metallic iron. 

“A certain proportion of garnets aids the smelting of the iron 
ore by their ready fusion, and by preventing the absorption of any 
oxide of iron by the slag, even if the garnet itself does not yield, 
as it probably does, a certain proportion of iron in the smelting 
furnace.” 


iProc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. YI, 1859, p. 245. 





322 


Ikon Okes of Maryland 


Summary. 

Practically all the limonites of the Piedmont and Appalachian 
regions of Maryland are associated with limestones, and the more 
important deposits are usually found in zones along which struc¬ 
tural movements have taken place, thereby affording favorable con¬ 
ditions for the infiltration of surface waters. They fall into four 
distinct groups,—the Devonian limonites, the Cambro-Ordovician 
limonites, the limonites associated with crystalline limestones of 
the Piedmont, and the bog iron ores of the Coastal Plain. 

The first of these groups is confined to the Appalachian region 
in Allegany and Washington Counties. The ores occur at two hori¬ 
zons,—just above the Romney-Oriskany contact, and at the Hel- 
derberg-Oriskany contact. The former horizon is the more im¬ 
portant. 

The second group, the Cambro-Ordovician limonites, are found 
in Washington and Frederick Counties. These ores have been ex¬ 
tensively worked, and include two of the largest deposits in the 
State. 

The third group has in the past been by far the most important 
and is still the most promising group of ore deposits. Its chief 
development is in Baltimore and Carroll Counties, although some 
deposits extend into Harford County on the east and Frederick 
County on the west. 

The fourth group of limonites are the bog iron ores which occur in 
the Coastal Plain area. They attain their chief development on 
the Eastern Shore, where they were mined years ago at several 
localities. This is the least important group of limonites. 

Carbonate ores occur in both the Appalachian and the Coastal 
Plain regions. 

The carbonates of the Appalachian region are found in the rocks 
of the Coal Measures, in Garrett and Allegany counties. Both 
blackband and clay ironstone occur, but the latter is the more im¬ 
portant. The iron is regarded as having been originally dissemi¬ 
nated through the strata and to have been subsequently segregated 
into the nodules of clay ironstone or layers of blackband. A great 


Maryland Geological Survey 


323 


deal of the mining was done by surface stripping, where the 
nodules of clay ironstone had become concentrated through the 
weathering of the containing shales and fire clays. These ores 
were formerly extensively worked in the George’s Creek basin, and 
to some extent in the Lower Youghiogheny basin. 

The Coastal Plain carbonates occur in the Arundel formation of 
the Potomac group, and are of Lower Cretaceous age. The Arun¬ 
del formation is a series of clay lenses lying unconformably be¬ 
tween the underlying Patuxent formation and the overlying Pa- 
tapsco. The ore occurs as concretionary lumps and nodules of all 
sizes scattered throughout the clays. A large percentage of these 
ores as mined consists of limonite, but this has resulted from the 
weathering of the original carbonate ore. These ores were the basis 
of our early iron industry, and have supplied a greater tonnage 
than any other class of ores in the State; but at the present time 
they are worked less extensively than some of the limonites. 

Both red hematite and specular hematite occur in Maryland. 
The red hematites are the Clinton ores and are confined to Alle¬ 
gany County, flanking the three anticlinal mountains, — Wills, 
Evitts and Tussey. The ores occur at two horizons, and differ 
fundamentally in character and composition. The lower ore usually 
consists of two beds separated by a thin shale parting of variable 
thickness, which at times reach a combined thickness of thirty feet. 
This ore is really nothing more than a highly ferruginous sand¬ 
stone running 22 per cent, to 24 per cent Fe, and has never been 
worked. The upper ore, occurring at the top of the Clinton for¬ 
mation is a fossiliferous oolitic ore varying from four to nine 
inches in thickness. It has been worked along almost its entire 
outcrop on the east side of Wills Mountain, and for some distance 
on the west side. The evidence as to the origin of these ores seems 
to indicate a sedimentary origin for the lower ore, and a replace¬ 
ment of a limestone bed for the upper. 

The specular hematite occurs in a quartz vein, extending from 
Einksburg to Sykesville in Carroll County. The ore rapidly grades 
into a copper ore with increasing depth, and the value of this occur¬ 
rence lies chiefly in its copper content. 



324 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


The magnetites are confined to the Piedmont and the eastern 
edge of the Appalachian region. They occur in three groups,— 
magnetite in the Loudon formation, magnetites in the schistose 
rocks, and magnetites in the serpentines. 

The magnetite in the Loudon formation occurs along the east 
side of Catoctin Mountain. It is a six-foot bed of magnetite and 
coarser clastic material consisting chiefly of quartz, intercalated be¬ 
tween the shales of the Loudon formation. 

The magnetites of the schistose rocks of the Piedmont occur in 
southern and eastern Frederick County, in western Carroll County, 
in northern Howard County, and in northwestern Harford County. 
The schists of the Piedmont frequently contain disseminated mag¬ 
netite, and at a few points this is sufficiently concentrated to form 
a workable ore body. Ho important deposits belonging to this 
group are known, and much of the ore mined was residual limonite, 
concentrated in the weathering of the magnetite. 

The magnetites in the serpentines are also relatively unimportant. 
They occur as magmatic segregations near the periphery of the ser¬ 
pentine masses. They have been worked in Baltimore and Harford 
counties, but no large deposits have been found. 


APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF MARYLAND IRON ORE RESERVES. 



Limonite* 

Hematite 

Siderite 

Magnetite 

Over 50 % Fe 

Small tonnage 



Small tonnage 

40-50% Fe 

2,500,000 

500,000 



Less than 40 % Fe 

Large tonnage 

25,000,000 

25,000,000 

3,300,000 


*The estimate of the limonite cannot be regarded as a close approximation 
because of the irregular nature of the occurrence, and the amount probably 
exceeds considerably the estimate given. 












Maryland Geological Survey 


325 


MANGANESE IN MARYLAND. 

Over 200,000 tons of manganese ores are annually imported into 
the United States, and the greater portion of these ores comes to 
Baltimore. Hence Baltimore is one of the chief manganese cen¬ 
ters of the country. As a producer of manganese ores, however, 
Maryland has never been a factor. 

There are four commercial sources of manganese, — manganese 
ores, manganiferous iron ores, manganiferous silver ores, and the 
manganiferous residuum from zinc roasting. The manganiferous 
residuum from zinc roasting is obtained only from smelters using 
New Jersey zinc ores, and there are none in Maryland. Manganif¬ 
erous silves ores have never been found in Maryland, and it is 
not probable that any exist. Manganiferous iron ores exist in 
Maryland, but no workable bodies have been found in which the 
percentage of manganese was high enough for the ore to be mined 
for its manganese content. Manganese ores have been mined at 
two localities. 

In general, the limonites of Maryland run low in manganese. 
But in Bachman Valley, and at Catoctin, the manganese content 
is somewhat higher than normal. Samples of Catoctin ore may 
run as high as three per cent, manganese, but the average run of 
the ore is much less than this. The Bachman Valley limonites run 
somewhat higher than this, and the average of six analyses was 
2.06 per cent. Mn. One of these samples, from the Wareheim de¬ 
posit, contained 3.79 per cent. Mn. Such ores cannot be mined for 
their manganese content, and can be classed only as ores of iron. 

Alexander 1 mentions several localities at which manganese ores 
occur, but these are not in sufficient quantities to be workable. 
Manganese, some of which he says is of very good quality, has been 
found on Bear Creek, and also on Keyser’s Ridge, five miles south 
of the National Road. Further east in the State, he mentions an 
ore of manganese associated with copper, near New Market, and a 
“formation of manganese ore” in the neighborhood of Mechanics- 


lAlexander: Am. Jour. Sci., Ser. 1., Vol. 27, p. 22. 



326 


Iron Ores of Maryland 


ville in Montgomery County. The occurrence of manganese ore 
at the Clary Ore Bank is mentioned on page 317 of this report. 

The two localities, which have been worked for manganese ore, 
are the property of the Potomac Refining Company in Washington 
County, above Harpers Ferry; and near Brookville, Montgomery 
County. 

Potomac Refining Company Mine [17] Plate XIV.—The prop¬ 
erty belonging to the Potomac Refining Company is situated on 
the north bank of the Potomac River, three miles north of Har¬ 
pers Ferry. At this place, a sharp bend in the river makes a pro¬ 
jecting point on the north bank. A fault cutting across this point 
brings the Shenandoah limestone on the west down into contact 
with the Harpers shale on the east. It is along this fault plane 
that the ore occurs. It consists both of manganese and of iron ore. 
But up to the present only the manganese has been worked and 
the location on the map gives the manganese deposit. 

This deposit was opened up in 1876 by Wells and Davis. They 
obtained both hard and soft manganese ore, which was shipped 
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The openings went below the 
level of the Canal, and the flooding of the mines caused a suspen¬ 
sion of operations. About ten years ago the property was again 
opened by a Mr. McIntosh, who sunk a 23-foot shaft about one 
hundred feet from the Canal. Work had only been carried on about 
a month, when the shaft was flooded and the property again aban¬ 
doned. In the spring of 1908, Mr. E. R. Cooper, of Baltimore, took 
hold of the property; and later the Potomac Refining Company 
was organized. A system of pumps has been installed and a washer 
for washing the ore erected. The old openings have been cleaned 
out and considerable new work done. A 60-foot shaft has been sunk 
near the limestone, which is expected to open up the main ore 
body. An adit at a higher level, running east, passes through a 
pocket of manganese ore, and an extension of this adit for one 
hundred and fifty feet X. 12° E. shows a pink manganiferous clay. 
This last drift, in all probability, lies too far to the east of the 
limestone, and a cross-cut from it toward the limestone would be 


Maryland Geological Survey 


327 


very likely to strike the ore through which the adit passes. Sev¬ 
eral hundred tons of ore have been mined and washed, but no ship¬ 
ment has as yet been made. 

The manganese ore, which is pyrolusite, occurs in irregular 
shaped lumps, or “kidneys,” varying up to six inches in their 
longest dimensions, in a matrix of yellow clay through which 
smaller lumps are disseminated. A sample collected by Dr. J. S. 
Grasty, showed the following analysis: 

ANALYSIS OF MANGANESE ORE FROM POTOMAC REFINING COMPANY MINE. 

Mn . 22.59 

Sio<> . 26.58 

Fe ". 2.73 

P .37 

S .004 

Within a half mile north of the manganese openings, several 
prospect holes have been put down, which show the presence of 
iron ore. Two samples taken from these by Dr. Grasty showed the 
following composition: 

ANALYSES OF IRON ORE FROM THE POTOMAC REFINING COMPANY DEPOSIT. 


Fe . 41.36 53.36 

Sio 2 . 31.35 5.33 

Mn". Trace Trace. 

P .034 .026 

S . Trace. 1.29 


The showing made by these prospect holes is very favorable, and 
if the prospecting is carried further, workable bodies of iron ore 
will in all probability be located. 

Manganese near Brookville. P. T. Tyson, on page 68 of his re¬ 
port as State Agricultural Chemist in 1862, mentions the occurrence 
of a manganese deposit a mile and a half west of Brookville in 
Montgomery County. This was prospected some time before 1860. 
The mining did not prove profitable and the deposit was soon 
abandoned. At the time of Tyson’s visit, the old opening was al¬ 
ready so filled in that there was nothing to be seen. 
















INDEX 


A 

Abbott, Horace, 150, 174. 

Abbott Iron Company, 174. 

Acts of Legislature regarding iron indus¬ 
try, 128, 129, 132, 133, 143, 
Adler, S. J., 153. 

Ahern, John, 158. 

Albaugh, George, 310. 

Alexander, J. H„ cited, 134, 146, 159, 
161, 176, 178, 229, 230, 237, 
325. 

Allan ore bank, 287. 

Allegany County, iron ore in, 182-184, 
291-308. 

iron works in, 139-142, 173. 
Allegheny iron ores, 237-238, 243. 
Ambush ore bank, 315. 

Amount of ore reserves, 199, 212, 227, 
300-301, 324. 

Anderson ore bank, 281. 

Annapolis Junction, iron ore near, 283. 
Anne Arundel County, iron ore in, 278- 
285. 

iron works in, 169-171. 

Antietam furnace, 134, 144-145, 177. 
Appletown ore bank, 192. 

Arbutus, iron ore near, 273. 

Arundel formation, 253-25-1. 

Arundel ores, 255-291. 
mining of, 258-259. 
origin of, 257. 
prices of, 258, 259, 26S. 
royalty on, 265, 268. 

Aschan, O. cited, 250. 

Ashland furnace, 135, 155, 177, 215, 216, 
219, 220, 221, 226, 230. 

Ashland Iron Company, 155. 

Ashland ore bank, 289. 

Assistance to iron industry, 128. 

Avalon Iron Works, 169, 173. 

Avondale, 149. 

Avondale ore bank, 216. 

Ayres ore bank, 319. 

B 

Bachman Mills, iron ore near, 212-213. 
Bachman Valley, iron ore in, 208-214, 
217-218, 325. 

Baldwin, forge near, 175. 


Baltimore City, iron works in, 159-160. 
Baltimore County, iron ore in, 218-225, 
262-275, 319, 320-321. 
iron works in, 150-15S, 173-174. 
limonites of, 218-225. 

Barker, J., 169. 

Barren Creek, iron ore on, 230. 

Barton, iron ore near, 240. 

Barton ore bank, 180. 

Baxter, William, 164, 165. 

Bauer, L. A., 329-337. 

Beall, Samuel, Jr., 144. 

Bear Creek, iron ore on, 237, 240-241. 
242, 325. 

Beasman, .T. E., 309, 310. 

Belt deposit, 316. 

Beltsville, iron ore near, 2S9. 

Bennett ore bank, 282. 

Benser ore hank, 261. 

Benson, O. R., 27S. 

Benson ore bank, 279. 

Bentz, Samuel* 144. 

Berkley ore bank, 285. 

Berthier, M., cited, 161. 

Bethke ore bank, 266. 

Big Bennetts Creek, 149. 

Big Elk Creek, iron works on, 175. 
Birkinbine, John, cited, 314. 

Bishop cited, 143, 148. 

Bishop, E. Tracy, cited, 144. 

Bishop ore bank, 265. 

Bixler, iron ore near, 214. 

Blackband ore, 234-236. 

Blackford, Benjamin, 146. 

Blooms, price of, 130, 163, 164. 
Bloomsburg forge, 149. 

Blowhorn ore bank, 272. 

Blue Mountain Iron and Steel Company. 
148, 201. 

Bluemount, iron ore near, 321. 

Blue Ridge furnace, 134. 

Blythedale, iron ore at, 260. 

Bog iron ores, 227-231. 

origin of, 227-229. 

Bolles cited, 161. 

Boonsboro, 144. 

iron ore near, 192-193, 202. 

Borden shaft, 141. 

Bosley, iron ore near, 219. 

Bosley ore bank, 219. 

Bowers, George, 279. 

Bowery furnace, 141, 177, 242, 246. 


329 






INDEX, 


330 


Bowie, iron ore near, 290. 

Brady, Clinton ore at, 295. 

Branchville, iron ore near, 290-291. 
Brauer, Chas. A., iron ore of, 281. 

Brian ore bank, 271. 

Bridewell, iron ore near, 276. 

Brien, John Mcl\, 145. 

Brooke, Horace L., 159. 

Brooks & Co., 215. 

Brooks ore bank, 276. 

Brookville, manganese near, 327. 

Brown, George, 274. 

Brown, Howard, 2S0. 

Brown, Jacob, cited, 300. 

Brown, Win. M., 145, 33S. 

Brown ore, 256. 

Brown ore bank, 266, 277, 283. 

Buck Hill, iron ore on, 247. 

Buck ore bank, 291. 

Burroughs, George B., 153, 171, 288. 
Burroughs, John, 169. 

Burchard, E. 1\. cited, 306-307. 

Bush Creek forge, 146-147. 

Bush furnace, 161. 

Bush River, 161. 

Bush River iron works, 161. 

Bye, E. M„ 160. 

Butlerville, iron ore near, 222. 

C 

California ore bank, 286. 

Calvert. Leonard, 146. 

Cambro-Ordovician limonites, 188-206. 
origin of, 190-191. 
stratigraphy of, 189-190. 

Canton forge, 174. 

Canton Rolling Mill, 174. 

Carbonate iron, 124. 

Carbonate ores, 232-291. 

Carbonate ores of Coal Measures, 233-253. 
of Coastal Plain, 253-291. 
origin of, 248-253. 
production of, 232-233. 

Caroline County, iron ores in, 229. 

iron works in, 176. 

Carroll, Charles, 153, 155. 

Carroll County, iron ore in, 207-216,317 
318. 

iron works in, 149-150. 

Carroll mine, 310. 

Cass Run, iron ore on, 264. 

Castle, A. R.. ore bank of, 204. 

Catoctin furnace, 132, 134, 136, L}6-148, 
177, 325. 

description of, 194-201. 
history of, 146-148, 201-202. 
Catoctin ore, character of, 195. 
geological position of, 196-199. 


Catoctin Iron Company, 147, 201. 

Catoctin Mountain, magnetites on, 31 
315. 

Catoctin Mountain Iron Company, 147. 

Caves ore bank, 227. 

Cecil County, iron ore in, 259-260. 
iron works in. 1G2-16S, 174-176. 

Cecilia furnace, 158. 

Cedar 1’oint furnace, 135, 159 , 177, 279. 

Chaney, Samuel, 284. 

Chapline, Joseph, 144. 

Charles ore bank, 185. 

Cherry Hill, iron ore near, 320. 

Chesapeake furnace, 135, 158. 177, 260. 

Chestnut Hill Mining Company, 208. 

Chew ore bank, 225. 

Churchman, John, 175. 

Clarion iron ore, 237. 

Clqrk, William B., 145. 

Clark and Bibbins cited, 253. 

Clay ore bank, 317, 326. 

Clay iron stone. 236-237. 

Clays, analyses of, 196. 

Clayton, iron ore near, 261. 

Clear Spring, iron ore near, 191, 202. 

Clifton, iron ore near, 270-271. 

Clinton formation, 292-295. 
character of, 293. 
distribution of, 292-293. 
sections of, 294-295, 297. 

Clinton iron ore, 291-308. 

Clinton ores, 295. 

amount of, 300-301. 
analyses of, 296. 
character of, 295. 
description of, 295-299. 
development of, 299-300. 
fossils of, 295-296. 
oolites of, 296. 
origin of, 301-308. 
thickness of, 295. 

Coal Measures in Maryland. 233-234. 

Coastal Plain carbonates, 253-291. 

Cochran ore bank, 219. 

Coddington ore bank, 243. 

Codorus furnace, 159. 

Coffin, Charles E., 171, 287, 288, 289. 

Coffin, E. F. & Co., 171. 

Coffin, W. E. & Co., 171. 

Cole, Philip, 165. 

Collins, Henry, iron ore of, 244-245. 

Conemaugh, iron ores of, 242, 243, 247. 
section of, 238-240. 

Contee, iron ore near, 285-287. 

Cook ore bank, 263. 

Cooper, Peter, 174. 

Copps Branch ore bank, 216. 

Coursey ore bank, 275. 


INDEX 


331 


Cowenton, 151, 174. 

Crook ore bank, 279. 

Cross ore bank, 221. 

Croton water works, pipe for, 16S. 

Crow ore bank, 261. 

Cuban ore, 156. 

Cumberland, iron ore near, 182-183, 295. 
Cumberland Coal and Iron Company, 141. 
Curtis Creek, 169. 

Curtis Creek furnace, 135, 169-110 , 177. 

D 

Daniel, Deleplane M., 160. 

Dans Mountain, iron ore on, 247. 

Do Bow cited, 134. 

Deep Run, iron ore on, 217-281. 
Dennison, Robt., iron ore of, 223. 
Detmold, Christopher, 142. 

Devonian limestones, 179-188. 

Dickerson, 149. 

Dietrich, Clement, 261, 262. 

Disney, William, 281. 

Donaldson, George, iron ore of, 289, 290. 
Dorchester County, iron ore in, 230. 
Dorsey, iron ore near, 281-282. 

Dorsey ore banks, 281. 

Dorsey, Samuel, Jr., 169. 

Ducatel, .T. T., cited, 228, 229, 262. 

Dug Hill, iron ore on, 238-240. 

Dulany, Daniel, 155. 

Dulany, Walter, 155. 

During ore bank, 272. 

Dutch Hollow, iron ore in, 244. 

Duty on iron exports, 128, 132. 

Duvall ore bank, 288. 

E 

Easton, Levi, 145. 

Ebbvale, iron ore near, 209. 

Ebbvale Mining Company, 211. 
Edgewood, iron ore near, 260. 

Ehrenburg, Ch. G., cited, 250. 

Elba furnace, 135, 11,9-150 , 177, 309, 311. 
Elder, iron ore near, 237, 243. 
Eldersburg, iron ore near, 310. 

Elk Forge Company, 175. 

Elkridge, iron ore near, 279. 

Elkridge furnace, 135, 168-169, 177, 280. 
Elk Rolling Mill, 174. 

Elkton, iron works near, 175. 

Ellicott, Andrew, Jr., 168. 

Ellicott, Evan T. & Co., 159, 173, 283. 
Ellicott, IJ. W„ 159. 

Ellicott ore bank, 270. 

Emmitsburg, 132, 148. 

Emory, D. H., iron ore of, 273. 

Emory Grove, iron ore near, 220. 


Ender ore bank, 266. 

England, John, 163. 

Ensor ore bank, 216, 219. 

Evans, John, 174. 

Evitts Mountain, 292. 

Clinton ore at, 295. 

Excelsior Brick and Pottery Company, 
273. 

F 

Fairall, Thomas, 169. 

Fairbanks, William, iron ore of, 280. 
Fairview Mountain, iron ore, 181, 185. 
Falkner ore bank, 243. 

Feagaville, iron ore near, 203. 

Fearer, iron ore near, 237, 243. 
Federalsburg, iron ore near, 229, 230. 
Federalsburg Bloomery, 176. 

Fielderia furnace, H8, 177. 

Finksburg, iron ore near, 308, 309, 311. 
Fisher, James, 282. 

Fitzhugh, Peregrine, 147. 

Flattermash ore bank, 261. 

Foerster, A. F., cited, 302-303. 

Forges, description of, 130. 

Forsythe deposit, 318. 

Francis Real Estate Company, 275. 
Franklinville, 150. 

Frederick, 148. 

Frederick County, iron ore in, 193-201, 
203-206, 216-218, 313-317. 
iron works in, 146-149. 

Frederick Junction, iron ore near, 205- 
206. 

Frey’s forge, 176. 

Friel ore bank, 288. 

Friend, Ed., iron ore of, 242. 

Friend, Taylor, iron ore of, 243. 
Friendsville, iron ore near, 237, 240-241, 
242, 243. 

Friendsville furnace, 133, 189, 177. 
Frostburg, iron ore near, 241, 245. 

Frost Company, iron ore of, 245. 

Furnace Branch, 148. 

Furnace Creek, 169. 

Furnaces in Maryland, 134-135, 177. 
Furstenburg, Levi, 153, 265. 

G 

Gaither estate, iron ore on, 279. 

Gantt, Fielder, 148. 

Garrett County, iron works in, 189. 

Garey ore bank, 278. 

Gay Shore, iron ore on, 268. 

Gee, Osgood, 154. 

Geeting ore bank, 202-203. 

Geiger, Christian, 149, 155. 

Geikie, James, cited, 252. 


INDEX 




Geist ore bank, 220. 

George’s Creek, iron ore on, 241. 

George’s Creek Coal and Iron Company, 
141, 241. 

Gephart, Geoi’ge, iron ore of, 300. 
German ore bank, 279. 

Gerst ore bank, 263. 

Gibbons, William, Iron ore of, 286. 

Giltz, Adam, 279. 

Glauconite beds, alteration of, 304-305. 
Glencoe, iron ore near, 220. 

Glenn, John, Jr., 170. 

Glenn, Wilkens, 170. 

Glenn, William W., 170. 

Golden Ring, iron ore near, 268. 
Goldwine ore bank, 282. 

Goodwin, William, 153. 

Gorsuch Point, 132, 163, 269. 

Gosweiler ore bank, 285. 

Grade crossings, 35. 

“Gouging,” 259. 

Grasty, J. S., cited, 327. 

Great Falls Iron Company, 168, 277, 2S0. 
Green, Richard, 155, 161. 

Green, Robt., 260. 

Green, William, 161. 

Green ore bank, 289. 

Green Spring, iron ore near, 184-188. 
Green Spring furnace, 134, 11,8, 177, 184. 
Green Spring ore bank, 185. 

Grim ore bank, 217. 

Grove Bros., ore bank of. 209-210. 

Guepl, Joseph, iron ore of, 184. 
Gunpowder forge, 151. 

Gunpowder furnace, 135, 150, 177. 
Gwynns Falls, 132. 

Gwynns Falls furnace, 155-156, 177. 

H 

I-Iaines, J. B. & Co., 143. 

Maker ore bank, 289. 

Ilalethorpe, iron ore near, 274, 275. 
Hampton furnace, 132, 11,8, 152, 177. 
Hancock, iron ore near, 180. 

Hansel, Philip, iron ore of, 248. 

Ilanway ore bank, 262. 

Hanover, iron ore near, 275-282. 

Harmon, G. R-, iron ore of, 280. 

Harmon ore bank, 282. 

Harford County, iron ores in, 225-227, 
260-262, 319-320. 
iron works in, 160-162. 

Harford furnace, 135, 161, 177, 260, 261. 
Harpers Ferry, W. Va., iron ore near, 
193. 

Hartnagel, C. A., cited, 306. 

Ilaslup ore bank, 276. 

Havre de Grace furnace, 135, 264. 


Havre Iron Company, 160. 

Iledgman ore bank, 290. 

Ilelderberg limonites, 180-182. 

Hematite, 124. 

composition of, 123. 
of Allegany County, 291-308. 
of Carroll County, 30S-311. 
specular, 308-311. 

Henderson, Richard, 144. 

IJengemihle ore bank, 267. 

Herman ore bank, 223. 

Herring Run, 154. 

Hess, iron ore near, 226. 

Hinks, Henry, 272. 

Hobbs, Geo. W., 276. 

Hobbs ore bank, 276-277. 

Hofmeister ore bank, 265. 

Hollins ore bank, 279. 

Homer, Francis, iron ore of, 224-225. 
Hone ore, 255. 

Honeygo Run, 151. 

Hood, Robert, 281. 

Hood ore bank, 317-318. 

Hoods Mills, iron ore near, 318-319. 
Hooff ore bank, 287. 

Hoover, Oliver, ore bank of, 209. 

Hope ore bank, 225. 

Horine, John, 144. 

Horseshoe Bend, forge near, 176. 
Howard. Robert, 151, 153, 263, 264. 
Howard County, iron ore in, 317-318. 

iron works in, 168-169. 

Huffer, Albert, iron ore of, 202. 

Hughes, Daniel, 143. 

Hughes, David, 144. 

Hughes, Samuel, 143, 144, 166, 175. 
Hull, C. J., iron ore of, 273. 

Hunter ore bank, 215. 

I 

Impurities in iron ores, 125. 

Indian Springs, ore near, 181, 184. 

Iron, production of, 130, 134, 136. 

Iron carbonate, composition of, 123. 

Iron exports, 128, 129, 131. 

Iron furnaces, earliest, 129. 

Iron industry, assistance to, 128. 

Iron industry, cause of decline, 136. 

Iron industry in Maryland, history of, 
128-138. 

Iron, manufacture of, forbidden, 132. 
Iron ore, analyses of, 181, 182, 183, 187, 


191, 

195, 

201, 

203, 

205, 

207, 

208, 

210, 

211, 

213, 

214, 

215, 

217, 

OOI 

223, 

224, 

226, 

227, 

231, 

236, 

243, 

244, 

256, 

264, 


INDEX. 


338 


Iron ore, analyses of, 

267, 270, 274, 277, 278, 282, 

296, 298, 309, 314, 316, 319, 

327. 

origin of, 222. 
production of, 137, 13S. 
of Maryland, 178-32.}. 

Iron works, earliest, 129. 

Iron works in Maryland, 139, 173-176. 

J 

Jackson, C. T., cited, 321. 

Jackson, William, 172. 

Jacksonville, iron ore near, 219. 

Jacques, Mr., 143. 

Jarrettsville, iron ore near, 162, 223. 
Jenkins, Hugh, 158. 

Jenkins ore bank, 267. 

Jessups, iron ore near, 282, 283. 

Johnson, Baker, 146. 

Johnson, Geo., cited, 130. 

Johnson, James, 143, 146, 149, 201. 
Johnson, Roger, 146, 149. 

Johnson, Thomas, 143, 146. 148. 

Johnson Field, iron ore in, 245. 

Johnson furnace, l}8-7//9, 177, 204. 

Jones ore bank, 290. 

Joppa, iron ore near, 261. 

Joppa Iron Works, 151. 

Joppa ore banks, 262. 

K 

Kohler ore bank, 265. 

Kaufman ore bank, 271. 

Keedysville, iron ore near, 202-203. 
Keeler Glade, iron ore in, 243. 

Keeny ore bank, 207-208. 

Kennedy ore bank, 273. 

Kern ore bank. 268. 

Keyser, William, cited, 150, 159, 178. 
Keyser Ridge, 325. 

Kimball, James P., cited, 302, 303. 

King, Thomas, 276. 

King ore bank. 283. 

Kingsbury furnace, 15b, 164, 177. 

Kirwan ore bank, 285. 

Kline’s ore bank, 268-269. 

Knight ore bank, 183. 

Koester, Frank, 266. 

Kohler ore bank, 192. 

Koontz, iron ore near, 241, 247. 

Kraft ore bank, 274. 

Krug, iron ore near, 238. 

Kunkle, Jacob M., 147. 

Kunkle, John, 146, 147, 201, 315, 


L 

Lafey ore bank, 281. 

La Grange furnace, 135, 161-162, 177, 226, 
320. 

La Grange Iron Works, 161. 

Lancashire furnace, 153, 164, 177. 
Landsdowne, iron ore near, 272, 273. 
Lane ore bank, 192. 

Laurel, iron ore near, 283-284. 

Laurel furnace, 135, 160, 177. 

Laurel Run, iron ore on, 238. 

Lazaretto furnace, 158. 

Lee, S. S., & Co., 158. 

Legh furnace, 149, 177, 216. 

Leitersburg, 143. 

Leitschuh ore bank, 269. 

Lemmon, Robert, 170. 

Lena furnace, 134, 142, 177, 182, 242, 
299, 300. 

Lennen, John, 265. 

Lepper ore bank, 269. 

Lesley, J. P., cited, 169, 178. 

Licking Creek forge, 143. 

Limestone, analyses of, 200. 

Limonites, 124. 

Cambro-Ordovician, 188-206. 
composition of, 123. 

Devonian, 179-188. 
origin of, 211. 
in Cambrian, 203-206. 
in gabbro, 232. 

in Piedmont limestone, 206-227. 
of Maryland, 179-232. 

Lineboro, iron ore near, 207-208. 

Link, Fred., iron ore of, 274. 

Linthicum ore banks, 282-283. 

Little, H. P„ cited, 253. 

Locust Grove furnace, 135, 153, 177. 

Loch Raven, 150. 

Locust Point, 159. 

Loman ore bank, 263. 

Lomyer ore bank, 261. 

Lonaconing, iron ore near, 238-240, 247. 
Lonaconing furnace, 134, 136, 141, 177, 
241, 247, 248. 

Lonaconing furnace (Knoxville), 11)9, 177. 
Long, D. L., iron ore of, 300. 

“Long a Coming” furnace, 204, 205. 

Long Cam forge, 150. 

Louisville, iron ore near, 310-311. 
Lutherville, iron ore near, 222-225. 

Lyden, W. E., cited, 176. 

M 

Mabury, Thomas, 146. 

Mabury, Willoughby, 146. 

Magnetites, 124, 312-322. 


/ 


INDEX 


Q 

l)l) 


4 


» 


Magnetites, composition of, 123. 
description of, 313. 
in serpentine, 319-321. 
near Thurmont, 312. 

Manganese, 327. 

in iron ore, 127. 
in Maryland, 325-327. 

Manning, Joseph C., & Co., 174. 
Manufacture of iron, beginning of, 128, 
129. 

Marley furnace, 169. 

Mariah furnace, 144, 177, 192. 

Marsh, Henry, 281. 

Marshyhope Creek, iron ore on, 229, 230. 
Martin, Nathaniel, 165. 

Martin Mountain, iron ore on, 184. 
Maryland bank, 193. 

Maryland furnace, 139-178, 159-160, 177. 
Maryland furnaces, list of, 177. 

Maryland Steel Company, 156-158. 

Mase ore bank, 220. 

Mason ore bank, 290. 

Mason & Dixon Mining Company, 213, 
214, 217. 

Masson, Charles, 268. 

Master, Legh, 149. 

Mathews, Edward B., 21S. 

Matthews, George, 165. 

Matthews ore bank, 219. 

Maus ore bank, 214. 

Maysburg, forge near, 176. 

McCallie, S. W„ cited, 304-305. 

McComas ore bank, 321. 

McCombs, A. P., 160. 

McCormick, Charles, iron ore of, 224. 
McCrone & Co., 174. 

McCullough, Jethro, 160. 

McCullough Iron Co., 167, 175, 176. 
McGinley, Mr., 144. 

McIntosh, Col., iron ore of, 273. 
McKenzie formation, 293. 

McLaughlin ore bank, 202. 

Mechanicsville, 325. 

Melrose, iron ore near, 208-209. 

Meyer ore bank, 208. 

Middle River, iron ore near, 267, 268. 
Midlothian, iron ore near, 141, 246. 
Milbrook ore bank, 288. 

Mill Run, iron ore on, 238. 

Miller, W. J., 218. 

Miller, iron ore near, 241, 246. 

Miller ore bank, 208, 275. 

Minebank, 225. 

Mine Bank Run, iron ore on, 221, 225. 
Mineral Hill mine, 310-311. 

Minersville, iron ore near, 270. 

Mitchell, F. B., iron ore of, 286. 

Mitchell, Terry G., 275. 

Mining, cost of, 258. 


Moale, John, 129, 155. 

Mobray, W. J., cited, 229. 

Mohr ore bank, 265. 

Monongahela iron ores, 241, 245, 246. 
Monroe prospect, 310. 

Montevideo, iron ore near, 282. 
Montgomery County, 325. 

Monumental, iron ore near, 274. 

Morgan Run, iron ore on, 310-311. 
Mosedale, Edward, iron ore of, 260. 

Mt. Airy, iron ore near, 150, 317-318. 

Mt. Etna furnace, 14b, 177, 192. 

Mt. Royal forge, 155. 

Mt. Savage, iron ore near, 240, 244. 

Mt. Savage furnace, 134, 139-141, 177, 
242, 299, 301. 

Mt. Savage Iron Company, 244, 245, 246. 
Mt. Savage Rolling Mills, 140. 

Mt. Winans, iron ore near, 271-272. 

Mt. Zion Cemetery Company, iron ore of, 
272. 

Mousetown, 144. 

Muirkirk, iron ore near, 288-289. 
Mluirkirk furnace, 135, 171-172, 177, 273. 
Muirkirk iron, character of, 172. 

Myers ore bank, 264. 

N 

Narrows Park, iron ore near, 299. 
Nassawango Creek, iron ore on, 230-231. 
Nassawango furnace, 134, 135, 172, 177. 
Xasby, forge near, 176. 

Neff, William, ore of, 183. 

Neller ore bank, 212. 

Newberry, J. S., cited, 252, 305. 

Newland, D. II., cited, 306. 

New London, iron mine near, 316-317. 
Newmarket, 325. 

Nicholas Mountain’ iron ore on, 183. 
Nicholson ore bank, 286. 

Nieder, Charles, 279. 

Nine Mile Hill, iron ore on, 265. 

Nodules, abundance of, 270. 

Norris ore bank, 319, 320-321. 
Northampton furnace, 152, 169, 177. 
Northeast forge, 166-167. 

Northeast iron works, 162, 164, 166. 
North East Rolling Mill, 167, 168. 

North Mountain, iron ore on, 184, 191. 
Nottingham forge, 150. 

Numsen Iron Works, 159. 

O 

Oakleigh, iron ore near, 222. 

Obrien ore bank, 270-271. 

O’Brien ore bank, 286-287. 

Ocean, iron ore near, 246. 


INDEX. 


335 


Octoraro forge, 175. 

Octoraro Rolling Mill, 175. 

Odensoss, Jacob, iron ore of, 273, 274. 
Onion, Stephen, 151, 162, 163. 

Onion, Zacheus, 152. 

Onion Iron Works, 151, 177. 

Oregon furnace, 135, 155, 177. 

Oregon ore bank. 220. 

Ore reserves, 324. 

Ores of iron, 123. 

Ores, impurities in, 125. 

Origin of Clinton ores, 301-308. 

Original deposition theory, 305-307. 
Oriskany limonites, 180-1SS. 

Oriskany ores, origin of, 187-188. 
Overman cited, 141. 

Owings, Charlotte C. D., 155. 

P 

Paint Mill, 147. 

Paint ore, 276, 281. 

Panel], William F., 158, 161, 260. 

Parke Bros., 174. 

Parke & Son, 176. 

Parke, Smith & Co., 175. 

Park Mills, iron ore near, 315-316. 
Patapsco, iron ore near, 278-279. 
Patapsco furnace, 159, 177. 

Patapsco Mines, 311. 

I’attison, Edward & Sons, 151. 

Patterson, J. W. & E. B., 151. 

Patterson, Small & Co., 155. 

Patuxent, iron ore near, 284, 285. 
Patuxent furnace, 135, 170, 177, 282, 283. 
Penniman, J. F., 142. 

Penniman & Browne, analyses by, 231. 
Pennsylvania Steel Company, 156. 
Peterman ore bank, 208-209. 

Phillips, Francis, 165. 

Phoenix, iron ore near, 219. 

Phosphorus in iron ore, 126.' 

Pig iron, price of, 130, 134, 163, 164. 

production of, 130, 133, 136, 137. 
Pine Grove ore bank, 262. 

Piney 'Run, iron ore on, 280. 

Pinto, Clinton ore at, 295. 

section near, 297. 

Pitcher ore bank, 271. 

Plumbmer ore bank, 280. 

Point of Rocks, iron ore near, 204. 
Pompey Smash, iron ore near, 246. 
Pondsville, iron ore near, 144, 192. 
Potomac Refining Company, 193, 326. 
Poplar, iron ore near, 264, 265, 266. 
Portland, 170. 

Pot Springs ore bank, 223-225. 

Pottsville iron ores, 237, 242, 244, 245. 
Powellsville, iron ore near, 230. 


Price, Joseph, 261. 

Priest ore bank, 284. 

Prince George’s County, iron ore in, 285- 
291. 

Prince George’s County, iron works in, 

m-m. 

Principio Company, 129, 132, 154, 269. 
Principio Forge Company, 166. 

Principio furnace, 135, 136, 162, 164, 177. 
Principio works, confiscation of, 165. 
Principio works destroyed, 166. 

Prospect Hill ore bank, 261. 

Prouty, W. F., cited, 294-295. 

Q 

Queen Anne’s County, iron works in, 
176. 

R 

Rails, first rolled, 140. 

Randel ore bank, 279. 

Randle, William T., 274, 275. 

Randle ore bank, 275. 

Reddington ore bank, 222, 225. 

Reed ore bank, 291. 

Reels Mill, 147. 

Reese, Daniel M., 160, 279, 281. 

Reich ore bank, 266. 

Relay, iron ore near, 275. 

Replacement theory, 302-304. 

Residual enrichment, 302. 

Rever, William, 266. 

Revolutionary War, cannon for, 143. 
Rheinhardt ore bank, 268. 

Rice ore bank, 222, 319. 

Richards, Mark, 172. 

Richmond Mine, 317. 

Rider ore bank 222. 

Ridgely, Charles, 152, 153, 169. 

Ridgely, David, 151. 

Ridgely, John, 150. 

iron ore of, 225. 

Ridgely, Mrs. John, of II., 152. 

Ridgely, Otho, 152. 

Ridgely Hill, iron ore on, 244. 

Ridgely, Howard and Lux, 153. 

Ridgely ore bank, 222. 

Riemschneider ore bank, 264. 

Riemsnyder, Valentine, 281. 

Rieve ore bank, 285. 

Ring ore bank, 275. 

Rittemhouse, James, iron ore of, 272. 
Rittenhouse ore bank, 272. 

Roberts, iron ore near, 300. 

Roberts ore bank, 287. 

Robinson, Elias, 267, 268. 




33 G 


INDEX 


Rock Forge furnace, 143, 177. 

Rocks of Deer Creek, 162. 

Boeder ore bank, 263. 

Rogers, H. D., cited, 305. 

Rogers, J. & Son, 162. 

Rogers, ffm. B., cited, 251-252. 

Rohe ore bank, 264. 

Roland Park, iron ore in, 232. 

Rolling mills in Maryland, 173, 174. 
Roman, J. D., & Co., 143. 

Romansville, 175. 

Romney Limonites, 182-188. 

Rosedale, iron ore near, 269. 

Rose Hill, Clinton ore at, 295. 

Rose ore bank, 284. 

Ross, David, 144. 

Rossville, iron ore near, 265, 266, 267. 
Rough and Ready furnace, 160, 177. 
Royalties on iron ore, 265, 268, 271, 276, 
281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 
287, 288. 

Rowlandsville, iron works at, 175. 
Rowles, Meyer, 280. 

Russell, Thomas, 162, 164, 167. 

Russell furnace, 167-168, 177. 

Ruth ore bank, 279. 

Rutledge, .T. J., cited, 302, 303-304. 

S 

Sadilek ore banks, 289. 

Sarah furnace, 135, 162, .177, 226. 

Sauble, Amos, ore bank of, 20S-209. 
Savage furnace, 169, 177. 

Savage Mountain, iron ore on, 237. 
Scaggs ore bank, 276. 

Searff ore bank, 226. 

Schaeffer ore bank, 212. 

Schmidtman ore bank, 269. 

Schuster, Charles, iron ore of, 225. 
Scrivenor cited, 130. 

Seling, Frederick, 266. 

Sewell, iron ore near, 260. 

Shaler, N. S., cited, 302. 

Shannon Rolling Mill, 168. 

Sharp, Gov. Horatio, cited, 130. 
Shawsville, iron ore near, 319. 

Sheridine, Daniel, 168. 

Sheridine, Thomas, 154. 

Shipley ore bank, 261. 

Shriver ore bank, 287. 

Siderite, composition of, 123. 

Silica in iron ore, 125. 

Singewald, Joseph T., Jr., 121, 123. 
Six-mile house, section at, 294-295. 
Skaggs ore bank, 291. 

Skillman ore bank, 262. 

Skully ore bank, 283. 

Sliver, Frederick, 281. 


Small and Geiger, 162. 

Smith, Jacob, 263, 264. 

Smith, John, 128. 

Smith, John Walter, 172. 

Smith ore bank, 264, 280. 

Smithville, iron ore near, 229. 

Smithville, iron works near, 176. 

Smyth, C. H„ Jr., cited, 305-306. 
Snowden Iron Works, 170. 

Snow Hill, 172, 229. 

Snow Hill, iron ore near, 230-231. 
Snively, Thomas, iron ore of, 202. 
Solomon ore bank, 266. 

Soper Hall ore bank, 279. 

South Baltimore furnace, 160. 

Sparrows Point furnaces, 156, 177. 
Specular hematite, 308-311. 

Springfield mine, 309-310. 

Spring Gardens, 159. 

Spence, T. A., 172. 

Stapleton ore bank, 275. 

Stemmers Run, 153. 

Stemmers Run, iron ore near, 267. 
Stemmers Run furnace, 263, 264, 265, 
268, 281. 

Stevenson, iron ore near, 221. 

Stickney, George H., 158. 

Stickney furnace, 158, 177, 264, 265, 
266. 

Stickney Iron Company, 158. 

Stony Run, iron ore on, 280. 

Stose, George W., cited, 184. 

Stouffer, Ernest, ore bank of, 216. 
Strasburg, Mr., iron ore of, 272. 

Sullivan, N. F„ iron ore of, 260. 

Sulphur in iron ore, 126. 

Summary, 322-324. 

Swampoodle ore bank, 289. 

Swank, J. M., cited, 140, 149, 176, 178. 
Sweeden, Benj., 264. 

Sydicum ore bank, 284. 

Sykesville, 149, 318. 

Sykesville, iron ore near, 308-310. 

T 

Talbot, John, iron ore of, 224. 

Talbot ore bank, 276. 

Tasker, Benjamin, Jr., 155, 156. 

Taylor ore bank, 268. 

Thomas, David, ore bank of, 206. 
Thomas, Kiefer, ore bank of, 205. 
Thomas, Nina, ore bank of, 203. 

Thropp, Joseph E., 148, 193, 201, 315. 
Thurmont, 146. 

Ties ore bank, 284. 

Timber Neck, iron ore in, 278-282. 

Tilly field, iron ore on, 247. 

Timonium, iron ore near, 223-225. 


LNDEtt. 


337 


Titanium in iron ore, 127. 

Toboii ore bank, 265. 

Toliver Run, iron ore on, 238. 

Tolley ore bank, 226. 

Tonoloway formation, 293. 

Touoloway Ridge, iron ore on, 180, 184. 
Townsend ore bank, 267. 

Towson, iron ore near, 221-225. 

Trail, Chas. E., ore bank of, 206. 
Tremper ore bank, 263. 

Tubbs, Lynn, 281. 

Turner ore bank, 267. 

Tuscarora formation, 293. 

Tussey Mountain, 292-293. 

Clinton ore at, 295. 

Tyson, Isaac, 311. 

Tyson, James W., 149. 

Tyson, J. W., 318, 319. 

Tyson, F. T., cited, 238-240, 327. 

Tyson ore bank, 284, 288. 

Tyler Tube and Pipe Company, 106. 

U 

Unicorn forge, 176. 

Union Mining Company, 244. 

Unionville, ii'on ore near, 216. 

Upper Clinton ore, 295-297, 299-301. 


Valentine ore bank, 182. 

Vale Summit, iron ore near, 241, 246. 
Van Kapff ore bank, 222. 

Virginia ore banks, 274. 

Vulcan’s Tryal, 167. 

W 

Waesehe, L. R., cited, 147. 

Wagonfere ore bank, 263. 

Walsh estate, iron ore on, 261-262. 

Walsh ore bank, 260. 

Wareheim, iron ore near, 325. 

Wareheim, George E., iron ore of, 214. 
Warfield Station, 149. 

Warfieldsburg, iron ore near, 216. 
Warrior Mountain, iron ore on, 184. 
Warwick, iron ore near, 229. 

Washington, Augustine, 153, 162, 164. 
Washington, Lawrence, 153, 162, 164. 
Washington County, iron ore in, ,180-182, 
184-188, 191-193, 202-203. 
iron works in, HS-H5. 


Washington Junction, iron ore near, 204- 
205. 

Waters ore bank, 284. 

Welch, Claude, cited, 284. 

Welch ore bank, 285. 

Welzenbach ore bank, 260. 

West, D. W„ 231. 

West Anwell iron works, 175. 

Westerman ore bank, 265. 

Westminster, iron ore near, 215-216. 
Western Boundary, magnetic survey 
along, 338. 

Westport, iron ore near, 270. 

Wheatstone, John, ore of, 181. 

Whetstone Point, 132, 163, 181, 269. 
Whitaker, George P., 160. 

Whitaker furnace, 150, 177. 

Whitaker Iron Company, 166, 270. 
Whitaker ore bank, 270. 

Whitehall, iron ore near, 319, 320-321. 
Whiteley, Henry, cited, 154, 162. 
Whitemarsh, iron ore near, 263, 264. 
Whitemarsh Run, 154. 

White ore, 255. 

Wicomico County, iron ore in, 230. 
Willcox, O. W„ cited, 252. 

Williams, T. J. C* cited, 145. 
Williamsburg, iron ore near, ,230. 

Willick ore bank, 261. 

Wills Creek formation, 293. 

Wills Gap, Clinton ore at, 295. 

section in, 297. 

Wills Mountain, 292. 

section of, 294. 

Wilson, Robt., 276. 

Wilson ore bank, 191-192, 219. 

Winding Ridge, iron ore on, 243. 

Windsor ore bank, 219. 

Withers, John, 161. 

Worcester County, iron ore in, 230-231. 

iron works in, 172. 

Worton Creek, iron ore on, 229. 

Wyand ore bank, 202. 

Y 

Tingling ore bank, 316. 

Z 

Zimmerman ore bank, 203. 

Zinkand ore bank, 269. 



























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